It’s the Second World War and Himmler’s Lebensborn Program is in full flight when eight-year-old Zofia Ulinski is kidnapped by the Germans. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, just like the other Polish children taken from their families and robbed of their names, their language, their heritage.
But when Zofia is adopted into a wealthy and loving German family, it is easier and safer to bury her past, deep down, so everything is forgotten. Until the Polish boy arrives and the past comes back to haunt her.
This is the powerful new novel from master storyteller Katrina Nannestad., multi-award-winning author of We Are Wolves and Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief. This is a heartfelt story about family lost and found, and the choices we make when we don’t have a choice at all.
Known for her intelligent and heartfelt middle-grade war novels, Nannestad is back with a new story following Zofia, a polish girl caught in the heart of the conflict. Told with heart, emotion and a great deal of sensitivity, this novel is a standout for Nannestad.
War can be a difficult topic for younger readers, but this topic and its associated themes of loss and grief are sensitively explored. Nannestad’s prose is simple yet eloquent, and illustrations by Nannestad are sparse yet gorgeous, allowing for a seamless read.
Nannestad also explores the conflict of identity that Zofia faces during the war. After being allocated to a German family, she starts to feel her Polish culture bleed away and is forced to adopt a German life. The emotional toll of her identity crisis really takes a toll on Zofia which results in a heartbreaking climax.
If you’re looking for a war novel that takes a different perspective, Nannestad’s Waiting for the Storks is a heartbreaking yet inspiring story of a young girl doing what she can to survive. We recommend it for YA readers and children aged 12+.
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