Waiting for Anya by Michael Morpurgo

Waiting for Anya is a World War II story, exemplifying the occupation of French Villages by the Nazis, and the bravery of the man and women who lived in them, many of which, risked their lives to help the pursued Jews escape and cross the border to safety.

This book tells the story of Jo, a sheppard boy, who finds out an infamous widow is hiding Jewish children and helping them cross the border to Spain. However, when the village is occupied by the German troops the children are stuck, with no way out, and must be kept hidden.

The story is very simple, but depicts a true episode of the events that took place in the south of France in those times. I enjoyed it and would advise it to anyone who enjoys WWII stories and in particular Schindler’s List.

There is now a motion picture, with Noah Schnapp (Strange Things), Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family) and Jean Reno (Wasabi):