The Children's War

Author Peter Bodo Gawenda draws on his own first-hand experience as a child living in Germany during WWII to reflect on the impact the war had on children. Born in the Third Reich under Hitler, Gawenda, through a child's point of view, invites readers to share his family's heartbreak, joy, humor, and cunning during their days in Oberglogau before their desperate flight from Russian conquerors to the safety of Bavaria. Peter and his brothers saw the war not as military or national history, but as the adventure of everyday living. They experienced bombs dropping, soldiers occupying their home, and prisoners of war marching through the streetsall of which seemed like mere intrusions to their childhood existence. They not only survived, but thrived, during the "Children's War." The strength of family ties carried the Gawenda boys through the War and shaped the author's perspective, making The Children's War an uplifting reading experience.