When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit...Still fascinates me

Title: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
Author: Judith Kerr
ISBN:
Rating: 8/10
Genre: History, War, WWII, Autobiographical
Type: Kindle

"They spelled out the name under the photograph.
Adolf Hitler.
'He wants everybody to vote for him in the elections and then he's going to stop the Jews,' said Elsbeth. 'Do you think he's going to stop Rachel Lowenstein?'
'Nobody can stop Rachel Lowenstein,' said Anna. 'She's form captain. Perhaps he'll stop me. I'm Jewish too.'
'You're not!'
'I am! My father was talking to us about it only last week. He said we were Jews and no matter what happened my brother and I must never forget it.'
'But you don't go to a special church on Saturdays like Rachel Lowenstein.'
'That's because we're not religious. We don't go to church at all.'
'I wish my father wasn't religious,' said Elsbeth. 'We have to go every Sunday and I get cramp in my seat.' She looked at Anna curiously. 'I thought Jews were supposed to have bent noses, but your nose is quite ordinary. Has your brother got a bent nose?'
'No,' said Anna. 'The only person in our house with a bent nose is Bertha the maid, and hers only got like that because she broke it falling off a tram.'

I saw this book recommended on Facebook. I am a member of a number of different book groups on Facebook, including Twinkl Book Club, RW Bookclub and BookClub@DRAKE. It was on one of these pages that another member recommended When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. As you know I really enjoy reading books about WWII. I find that whole part of history interesting. How one man could have had such a catastrophic impact upon the world and modern-day history.

Judith Kerr has been an author I have loved for as long as I can remember. I remember being at primary school as a young child and reading The Tiger Who Came To Tea. I remember my teacher reading it to the class and finding it hilarious all the different things the tiger ate before leaving and the Dad not knowing what had happened. As I was reading When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit I remember thinking that Judith must be an elderly lady. It was after finishing the book in April that Judith passed away in May. I was so glad to have read her book.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is based on the life of Judith Kerr during her and her family's time in Germany. Although the book is based on Judith's childhood the characters are not named the same. Judith has changed the names of the characters. Anna's father is a journalist in Germany and he has left his homeland in the dead of night. Anna does not know why. Anna has been told she cannot tell anyone. She has to tell people her father is sick and he has the flu. Then on the eve of Hitler's election Anna, her brother Max and their mother leave secretly to go to Switzerland. The book continues the story of Anna and where her family are taken too in order to survive. Making their way across Europe in order to survive.

It is during their time in Switzerland that Anna becomes aware of the dangers she has left. She has to learn a new language and learn to fit into a new society and community without making it known she is Jewish. As seen in the above quote there is the stereotypical view of Jewish people and the view which has been influenced through propaganda and the media. Anna's friend Elsbeth does not believe she is Jewish because "she doesn't have a bent nose". It is this that I struggle to comprehend when it comes to this part of history. I can understand how people who are young and impressionable and those who were scared could share the opinion that Jewish people were evil but that leaves a large proportion of the country who were convinced that Jewish people were to play for the demise of Germany.

I found the book easy to read and that with Judith not referring to herself it was easier to read as it distanced my feelings from Judith. For her to write a book depicting the persecution her family were subjected to and for her to be able to write it with such grace and conviction when the story is about herself this is something she should be very proud of that.

I would definitely recommend reading this book to other people and I look forward to reading the other books in the series Bombs on Aunt Dainty and A Small Person Far Away which I am sure I will in time. I really look forward to finding out what happens in the rest of Judith's/Anna's life.

Rating: 8/10
10-Word-Review: An insightful look into the life of a war-torn child.

There is still more to come, future reviews include Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling, To Find My Own by Beth Cooper and Confessions of a Virgin Sex Columnist by Kay Marie.