All He Knew by Helen Frost

The story begins in September 1939 with Henry and his Mama on the Greyhound bus to Riverview. Henry is not sure why his sister Molly cried when they left. As they travel on the bus, Henry thinks about the last time he travelled on a bus. He saw a man who tried to get him to blow out candles. When he wouldn't do it, the man got mad and told Henry's mama that he was "unteachable". As a result, Henry has been sent to Riverview Home For The Feebleminded. The bus trip ends with his Mama leaving Henry at Riverview.

Henry's sister Molly remembers when he was born. Molly was five years old. When their neighbour, Mrs. Grayson, came to their home, she had Papa take her for a walk. When Molly and Papa returned home, there was a baby, her brother, Henry. But life changed forever, Christmas Eve 1937 when Henry became very sick with a fever and painful ears. After four days he started to feel better but they soon realized that Henry was not able to hear.

At first Henry would talk to people even though he couldn't hear them speak. He would try to guess what they were saying. At his sixth birthday party in July 1939, a fight and a ruined cake led Henry to decide to only talk at home to his Mama, Papa and Molly.

When it was time for Henry to go to school, the principal suggested a large, expensive hearing aid or that Henry attend a school for deaf children, the State School for the Deaf. Henry's parents couldn't afford the hearing aid so they applied for Henry to attend the special school.

Henry is now at Riverview, along with thirty-three boys, all dressed in gray-green clothes. One boy whom Henry guesses is called Ted, helps him, showing him how to avoid trouble. Ted has one leg shorter than the other and one arm hangs at his side. Soon another boy arrives, a small boy who is scared and whom Henry calls Billy. Henry and Ted help Billy. Henry wonders about "...the fours boys who can't get to the meal place because their wheelchairs won't go down the stairs" or the "...three held tight by blankets that keep them in their beds." or "the two who have to wear those shirts with the two sleeves tied together so the boys can't use their hands?" or "...the four strapped into chairs in the long dark hallways?"

Christmas of 1939 sees Henry alone at Riverview, his family not visiting him. His seventh birthday also passes without a visit from his family in July of 1940. It isn't until March, 1941 that Henry is visited by his Mama and Molly. Mama explains that they've had no extra money to be able to visit him. Henry thinks that they have come to take him home but quickly learns this is not the case. He is taken away, not hearing his sister's promise to visit him again at Christmas.

But war brings changes to Riverview, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December, 1941. And one of those changes is a conscientious object by the name of Victor Jorgensen. When Victor arrives, he begins advocating for all the boys at Riverview, especially Henry whom he finds to be a sweet-tempered boy who cannot hear. With the help of Molly, Victor is able to bring Henry home and set him on the path to being able to communicate with others and live a fuller life.

 Discussion

All He Knew is based on a real life events that occurred in the author's husband's family in the early 1900's. The novel explores the life experience of  children who because of their disabilities were labelled unteachable and institutionalized in the 1930's and 1940's. Living in an institution in the early 20th century was often a degrading experience due to terrible conditions and poor treatment by staff.

Frost draws from the experiences of her husband's family to portray life inside an institution during the Second World War. Conditions are quite awful as Henry quickly discovers. When he first arrives at Riverview, Henry notices the terrible smell. He along with the other boys wear gray-green clothes. 

Staff are abusive and the boys quickly learn how to avoid certain workers.  There is "Barker Man" "...the one who looks like an angry barking dog and kicks the kids who don't jump up to obey, including Henry when he doesn't see him coming." and "Blanket Man" who jerks Henry's blanket off every morning because he can't hear the whistle to wake up.  When James is returned after running away, Henry notices he's limping, his face is bruised and he's strapped into a chair in the hallway.

Boys can be quickly labelled leading to days or months of abuse.For example, when his friend Ted attempts to protect Billy from being beaten by Barker, he is labelled as violent and from that point on is strapped into a chair all day long. While most boys are strapped down for ten or twenty days, Henry notes that Ted has been strapped down for much more than that. So long, that he has difficulty walking when Victor eventually puts a stop to this practice.

Because they are labelled "unteachable", Henry and the other boys receive no education. His hearing disability is seen as an insurmountable barrier.With the war, conditions deteriorate even more. Some days only one meal is served. There are no snacks or hot drinks. But the war also brings Victor Jorgensen who ultimately helps Henry return home.

Victor is a complete contrast to the other attendants on the ward. Henry notes, "He seems to like us...He doesn't slap us or pull us by our hair, shove us out the door if we're not moving fast enough." Victor sees Henry and Ted as real children, wonders about the individual needs of each child and questions what's being done to some of the children. "Attendants who've been here a while say that Henry's friend is prone to violence and must be restrained at all times. But does that child have to spend his whole life in a chair? He might lash out again, they warn. Victor has his doubts. He decides to wait and see." He ultimately unstraps Ted from his chair.  

In contrast to the degrading conditions at Riverview, Henry is portrayed as a real person who can think and feel and learn. He is shown to be caring and kind, as when he goes after Billy and brings him back to the ward. He is courageous when he speaks up to Victor about Ted being strapped into the chair each day. He is intelligent and resourceful and just a bit cheeky when he devises a way to get Blanket Man to leave him alone. Henry also has a rich inner life which evokes empathy for his situation.

Frost chose to tell her story in free form verse.Victor's narrative is told in sonnet form. The author has included a Notes On Form and Characters at the back, explaining her poems and also detailing more about specific characters in the novel. In her Author's Note, Frost explains the inspiration behind All He Knew. Her husband's mother's brother, Shirley Sowers was labeled unteachable and institutionalized. Maxine Sowers wrote seven poems about her brother Shirley (which Frost includes at the back of the novel) and these poems led to Frost wondering how to capture the experience in a way that would engage young readers. All He Knew accomplishes that very well and in a way that's not overbearing or heavy on detail. The poems allow the reader to think about what it might be like as a child to be taken to an institution and what it was like for families during the war who had no choice but to do this to their child.

Despite the heavy topic, All He Knew ends in an uplifting way with Henry reunited with his family, and the uniting of three families, Henry's, Ted's who is really called Ned, and Victor's who come together for dinner at Henry's home. Henry begins to learn how to communicate using sign language, his old friend Sadie comes by to say hi and there is the hint of a blossoming friendship between Victor and Molly. This is a lovely novel with a sweet protagonist who will capture the hearts of readers of any age.

Book Details:

All He Knew by Helen Frost
New York: Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers    2020
254 pp.

DVD: A Hidden Life

A Hidden Life is a biopic about Austrian conscientious objector and Catholic saint, Franz Jagerstatter. Written and directed by Terrence Malick, A Hidden Life is a jewel that simply must be seen by anyone who is interested in studying the past, learning from history and discovering those hidden acts that only now are coming to light.

The film opens with the voice of Franz Jagerstatter stating "I thought that we could build our nest high up in the trees, Fly away like birds to the mountains."  This is followed by black and white archival footage of Hitler being welcomed by the masses, speaking at huge rallies with cheering crowds. Austria has become part of Hitler's Third Reich. Events will unfold that will change Franz's life forever.

Franz and his wife Fani are working in the fields of the farm high in the mountains near the village of St. Radegund, Austria, in 1939. Husband and wife are a team, working together scything, planting potatoes and raising their three beautiful daughters.

Fani reminisces about how she and Franz met, how her sister now lives with them, how life in their village is filled with hard work, good neighbours and is happy. But overhead the sound of an approaching airplane hints at the troubles to come.

In 1940 Franz finds himself at the Enns Military Base doing training. There he meets a fellow recruit, Waldland who is always happy. In a letter to her husband, Fani reveals that France has surrendered and that she's heard they are allowing the farmers to return home. 

At the military base, Franz and the others watch propaganda movies about Germany's conquests of France and Russia. But while the other soldiers clap enthusiastically, Franz is deeply disturbed. He sees the destruction and the human cost and writes to his wife, "Oh my wife. What's happened to our country? To the land we love?"

Summer turns to winter and then to spring, and Franz finally returns home. Fani and the children are ecstatically happy. During the wheat harvest in the fall, one of the farmers tells Franz he has been called up. He thought there would be peace but the war simply goes on. To Franz's question,  "Do you believe in what we are fighting for?" the farmer answers, "Not really." As Franz and the village miller Trakl watch their neighbours embrace Nazism, Trakl questions Franz, " Don't they know evil when they see it?..." Knowing Franz does not support the Nazis, he warns him to be careful.

In a conversation with his parish priest, Father Furthauer, a troubled Franz reveals that if he is called up he cannot serve. "We're killing innocent people, raiding other countries, preying on the weak. Now the priests call them heroes, even saints. The soldiers that do this. It might be that the other ones are the heroes. The ones who defend their homes against the invaders."  Father asks Franz if he's considered the consequences of his actions, for his family. He tells Franz he would most likely be shot and his sacrifice would benefit no one. He does agree to speak to the bishop about Franz's situation.

Franz's internal conflict deepens and Fani notices a change in her once carefree husband. He is thoughtful and worried. When brown shirts show up to collect for the war effort, Franz refuses, telling them he has nothing to give. This leads to a visit from Kraus, the mayor of Radegund as to why he's not supporting his people and the war effort. Franz however,  remains unmoved by the mayor's pleas.

Franz and Fani go to see Bishop Joseph Calasanz Fliesser. But the bishop is of no help to Franz. On the way home Franz tells Fani, "I think he was afraid I was a spy. They don't dare commit themselves or it could be their turn next." Eckinger, a neighbour explains to Franz that the bishop is going along, trying to appease the Nazis, in the hopes the regime will be more tolerant towards the church. Priests are being sent to concentration camps and church possessions are being banned.

The villagers begin to ostracize Franz and Fani. Franz's mother is upset with Fani, blaming her for changing her son. The mayor violently confronts Franz, telling him they must defend their country and that he is traitor to his people and his country.  Despite this Fani supports Franz. She tells him their prayers will be answered, if they are faithful to God, he will be faithful to them. 

Eventually their worst fears are confirmed: Franz is called up. The couple are devastated for they both know that if Franz follows his conscience, he will never return home. In March of 1943,  Franz reports to Enns for military service. He refuses to take a pledge to Hitler and is promptly arrested and put in prison. So begins his short journey of hidden resistance and ultimately to martyrdom.

Discussion

Written and directed by Terrence Malick, A Hidden Life portrays the events leading to Franz Jagerstatter refusal to support the Nazi regime and war, which he considered a great evil. As a result, Franz was arrested, imprisoned and guillotined at 4pm on August 9, 1943 in prison.

A Hidden Life is a deeply moving film that asks viewers to consider the role of conscience in our everyday lives, to explore the concepts of just war, the lost virtue of moral courage, and the possibility of sacrificing everything for our most deeply held convictions. It does so by setting this moving human drama against the majestic backdrop of mountains, waterfalls, blooming meadows and fast-flowing rivers.

Franz and Franziska on their wedding day

Franz Jagerstatter (played by actor August Diehl), whose Catholic faith blossomed after his marriage to Franziska Schwaninger (Valerie Pachner), a devout Catholic,  came to believe that Nazism and Catholicism were completely irreconcilable. When he saw the goals of the Nazi war, to enslave other nations, to plunder their resources, wealth and culture, and their determination to murder an entire race of human beings, he knew he could not participate in any way. To do so was to cooperate with a great evil.

When he was called up for a third time in 1943, Franz reported to the military base at Enns, Austria but refused to complete his military service. According to the Reich Court Martial  “that, due to his religious views, he refused to perform military service with a weapon, that he would be acting against his religious conscience were he to fight for the Nazi State…that he could not be both a Nazi and a Catholic… that there were some things in which o­ne must obey God more than men; due to the commandment ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself’, he said he could not fight with a weapon. However, he was willing to serve as a military paramedic.” Interestingly in Malik's film, his offering to serve as a paramedic is somewhat glossed over. In fact, in real life, his request to serve as a medic was denied.

In A Hidden Life, Franz is repeatedly told that his conscientious objection would serve no purpose and therefore was meaningless. He is called a traitor, that his actions are sinful. His lone resistance would be hidden - no one would ever know of it, it would not alter the course of the war, nor stop it. Time and again he was told he had an obligation to his country, his people and to his family. 

Opposition surrounds him on all sides. His Catholic parish priest and even his Catholic bishop were of no help. Hoping for some guidance from his bishop, Franz is told that he "has a duty to the Fatherland, the church tells you so." and that he must obey those in authority over him. Franz asks the bishop, "If our leaders are not good...if they're evil. What does one do?" His bishop has no answer for him.

Before reporting for military service in 1943, Father Furthauer (played by Tobais Moretti) challenges Franz, "Does a man have the right to let himself be put to death for truth? Could it possibly please God?" He tells Franz that God wants us to be happy and not bring suffering on ourselves. In response to Father Furthauer's rationalizing, Franz astutely counters that we must stand up to evil. 

Franz talking with Judge Lueben

In prison, Franz's lawyer tries desperately and repeatedly to get his client to sign a paper. He doesn't understand Franz's defiance asking him, "How do you know what is good or bad?" At his military tribunal in July 1943, Judge Lueben meets with Franz privately. The Reich judge is deeply puzzled about Franz's objections and berates him, "Do you imagine that anything you do will change the course of this war? That anyone outside this court will ever hear of you? No one will be changed. The world will go on as before."  And yet at the end of his time with Franz, one senses that maybe Lueben does understand, that he is condemning a good man.

Franz's intense spiritual conflict is set against the backdrop of the spectacular beauty of the Alps. Malik filmed these scenes in the Italian Alps while the scenes in the farmhouse were shot in the Jagerstatter home in Radegund. The cinematography is one of the most outstanding features of this film. Scenes of Franz and Fani working together, scything wheat, running their mill, milking cows, sowing crops, cutting wood, baking bread, playing with their young children, and spending time alone, portray a simple life of honest but hard work. Set against a backdrop of breathtakingly beautiful scenes of mountains, misty forest, rushing streams, and golden wheat fields, Malik captures the beauty of nature  High in the Austrian Alps, in the tiny village of Radegund, one can feel the presence of God. These scenes of joyful family life and a loving marriage show and Fani's unwavering support sustain Franz.

As it turns out, all who told Franz that his sacrifice would be meaningless and forgotten in the mists of time were wrong. Today he is a saint, his life the subject of a sublime film that has touched millions. On his beatification, Diocesan Bishop Dr. Ludwig Schwarz and Bishop Dr. Manfred Scheuer (Postulator of the beatification procedure) made this statement:

“Franz Jägerstätter is a prophet with a global view and a penetrating insight which very few of his contemporaries had at that time; he is a shining example in his fidelity to the claims of his conscience, an advocate of non-violence and peace, a voice of warning against ideologies, a deep-believing person for whom God really was the core and centre of life. His prophetic witness to Christian truth is based o­n a clear, radical and far-sighted analysis of the barbarism of the inhuman and godless system of Nazism, its racial delusions, its ideology of war and deification of the state, as well as its declared program of annihilating Christianity and the Church. His educated, mature conscience led him to say a resolute ‘No’ to Nazism and he was executed due to his consistent refusal to take up arms as a soldier in Hitler’s war.”
 
Those who wish to read more about Franz Jagerstatter's life are referred to the Diocese of Linz website.

The movie takes its title from a George Eliot quote from her book, Middlemarch:

"The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life..." Franz's life and his act of passive resistance were most definitely hidden and unhistoric. His life, lived faithfully and his refusal to participate in a evil war, have done good that none of us will fully know in this life.

A Hidden Life is a beautifully crafted film, with a cast who give outstanding performances. Malik challenges his audience to consider the life of a man who simply could not cooperate with evil. Ultimately his hidden resistance cost him his life. While the personal price was high, Franz Jagerstatter demonstrated that there was still some good in a very evil time.

Image credits:

Franz and Franzsika wedding photo: https://johnpwalshblog.com/2017/10/26/blessed-franz-jagerstatter-1907-1943-farmer-husband-and-father-conscientious-objector-and-martyr/ 

Franz with Judge Lueben: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/17-january/books-arts/film/film-review-a-hidden-life-cert-12a

Remembrance by Theresa Breslin

Remembrance is a thoughtful and deeply touching novel that brings home the realities of war and the tragedy of the First World War, considered the war to end all wars.

It is 1915 and war has been raging now for over a year. Fifteen year old Charlotte Armstrong-Barnes lives at Stratharden House just outside the village of Stratharden in Scotland. Against her mother's wishes, Caroline has been volunteering at the Cottage Hospital. Her mother wants her to organize charity functions but Charlotte wants to train as a nurse, an occupation her mother thinks is not respectable.  

Charlotte's brother, twenty-two year old Francis, has just returned home from college and unlike most Englishmen, is not eager to enlist. In fact, he is deeply troubled by the war. He tells Charlotte that the "patriotic drumbeating" is wrong. "Who in their right mind would want to go to war?" said Francis. "Not the ordinary Prussian or Frenchman, I'll wager. What makes a human being want to kill another who has done him no personal harm? Patriotism. The one thing that can unite people. It takes priority over religious differences, or class, or money, or social position." But his mother considers such views disloyal and admonishes him.

The war has meant many changes at Stratharden; most of the servants are now involved in the war effort. Charlotte's governess has joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment and their maid, Annie has seen her two boys, Rory and Ewan enlist.

One day Francis and Charlotte decide to walk into the village to get a newspaper. For Charlotte it's a chance to flirt with the son of the shop proprietor, John Malcolm Dundas. John Malcolm's twin sister Maggie doesn't like either Francis or Charlotte. She considers that Charlotte, "Miss High-and-Mighty"  is just "playing" at being a nurse. Charlotte's interest in John Malcolm annoys Maggie, while Francis is "...the dreamy brother, freshly returned from university and full of new ideas, ...to tell others what to do," Francis tells Mr. Dundas that he hopes to take up his sketching seriously. John Malcolm offers to take the milk order up to the farm, allowing him a chance to talk to Charlotte. Deeply attracted to each other, Charlotte suggests they have a picnic on the Bank Holiday and asks John Malcolm to invite his sister. As he suspects, Maggie is not keen to go but does agree. 

At Stratharden, Charlotte's mother worries about her keeping company with the right kind of people and is unsure the Dundas family meet that criteria. But Francis tells her they are honest and "known for being upright and generous to the less fortunate." On the picnic, Charlotte and John Malcolm realize they have a strong affection for one another.

Soon the war overtakes everyday life; Charlotte spends long hours working in the hospital, and Francis becomes increasingly preoccupied with news about the war. The chauvinistic patriotism of the newspaper headlines contrast starkly with the growing number of dead and the need for more recruits. Francis laments the growing war machine and the determination of his countrymen to be part of the war. To that end, the King's Own Scottish Borderers Regiment sets up camp in the field behind the school in Stratharden, organizing a recruitment drive for more soldiers. John Malcolm and Maggie's younger brother, fourteen year old Alex, becomes enamoured with the soldiers. He spends time around the reserve battalion, determined to learn all he can about soldiering. Eventually the Scottish regiment leaves with both John Malcolm and his younger brother Alex expressing the intense desire to enlist when they come of age.

As the war continues on, Charlotte considers volunteering at one of the city hospitals as there are so many wounded. Charlotte and the other nurses know the war is not going well given the large number of casualties, the lack of munitions and the disorganized offensives. Francis tells Maggie and her father that he has read that the Allies are short of munitions and it is this news that leads Maggie to decide to work at the Springbank munitions factory. At first her parents, especially her father, are against the idea but Maggie tells them she wants to contribute to the war effort in a meaningful way.

In January 1916, Charlotte leaves Stratharden for Edinburgh to work in the Springbank military hospital. John Malcolm Dundas turns eighteen in November 1915 and enlisted along with his friend Eddie Kane. As for Francis, he continues to be deeply troubled by the war and is strongly against it. People in their village have assumed that his commission has been delayed which is not the case. Francis has not enlisted and Charlotte worries about how this will be perceived. As Charlotte continues to work in the hospital and is now dealing directly with wounded soldiers she begins to wonder if her brother is not correct in his view that this war is particularly wrong.

As Francis frequents the shop, Maggie begins to read the newspapers both from their shop and at work for more information about the war. She is annoyed that her father leaves her out of discussions about politics and the war, instead talking to Alex. With Francis, Maggie is able to discuss pacifism, socialism and he doesn't mind if she disagrees with him. John Malcolm goes off to war and shortly after, on February, 1916, the Military Service Act is passed meaning that Francis is called up to serve. However Francis has no intention of serving if possible. He goes before the military tribunal but on the advice of his father's cousin, Major Grant, says nothing and gets a temporary exemption. Francis tells Grant that he is not a conscientious objector because he does believe that some wars are just. On his way home, Francis is confronted by two women who hand him a white feather as a sign that he is a coward for not signing up. Maggie is furious, leaving Francis touched that she would defend him.

Meanwhile, life goes on in Stratharden. Maggie marvels at the changes taking place in society and both Maggie and Charlotte receive letters from John Malcolm about life on the front lines. Both young women feel a sense of dread and both soon learn that the war is beginning to change their lives forever.

Discussion

Theresa Breslin is an award winning author who writes books for children and young adults. Breslin undertook significant research for her novel, Remembrance, visiting Belgium and France, the Imperial War Museums in London and Edinburgh, and reading regimental histories and biographies as well as consulting newspapers and journals from the First World War era.

As such, Remembrance is an extraordinary piece of historical fiction that vividly portrays the Scottish experience during World War I. It is an experience sadly mirrored in Britain, Canada, France and Germany. The novel portrays how people in the United Kingdom viewed World War I, how the conflict impacted life for civilians of all classes in Scotland, France and Belgium and how it changed society in ways that could never have been imagined.

One of the major strengths of this novel is how Breslin uses her characters to effectively inform readers about the attitudes and politics of this era, about how the people were lied to in order that the war would continue on in spite of poor military decisions, a false sense of patriotism and a sickening loss of life. 

Breslin portrays the attitudes toward women in the early 1900's prior to the First World War, through the characters of Charlotte, Maggie, Mrs. Armstrong-Barnes and Maggie's father, Mr. Dundas. Some of these attitudes and beliefs were that women shouldn't be nurses or ride bicycles, that a woman pursuing a career was thought to be selfish, that women needed to take care about who they kept company with in order to make a good marriage, that women were not to be involved in politics or the business of war. Both Charlotte and Maggie have to overcome negative attitudes at home to go out and work in society. Maggie has told her mother that she ought to be able to choose what she wants to do but her mother tells her only the rich can choose what they do and that "the rest of us occupy our set station in life, and you should be grateful to have one that feeds and clothes you."   Charlotte's mother was not comfortable with her daughter going outside the home either and Charlotte had to tell remind her that nursing was now considered a "respectable" profession. Because Francis is not part of the war effort, Charlotte is seen as helping the family's image in that regard.

Breslin effectively uses specific characters to portray opposing viewpoints on the war. For example, John Malcolm and Alexander Dundas portray those who whole-heartedly supported the war effort. When John Malcolm and his younger brother, Alexander watch the parade of the Scottish regiment as they leave Stratharden, John Malcolm says to Charlotte, "Isn't it glorious?" he said, eyes shining."  "I wish I were going now, with the rest of the lads," said John Malcolm. "It's so frustrating to be left at home and not be a part of it all."

Their view is in complete contrast with that of Francis who believes the war to not only be unjust, but simply the work of madmen. Francis is a conscientious objector or a "conchie" as Major Grant, a cousin of his father, calls him. In an exchange between Grant and Francis, the latter's opposition is made quite clear.

"This cause is not just," said Francis passionately. "The war should be stopped at once. The vast amounts of money maintaining the army would be better spent at home feeding the poor. It is the same situation in Germany, and the condition of the ordinary Russian people does not bear thinking about. Thousands of young men's lives are being squandered for little gain."
"The conduct of the war is criticized in many places," replied the major, "mostly by those who know nothing of warfare. It is true that mistakes have been made, but we have learned from them."
"Other men pay with their lives for your mistakes," Francis said bitterly, "The carnage sickens me."
"Things are improving," said Major Grant.
"How can a war improve?" said Francis in despair.

It is a view, that in 1916 Scotland, would have been considered wholly unpatriotic and even treasonous. Francis is a prophetic and tragic character, warning that the war will go on for years and cost millions of lives and inflict terrible suffering. He is all the more tragic because he is forced to enlist simply because he cannot bear the weight of the deaths of so many around him and because of what the war ultimately does to him.His experience is exactly the reality he predicted while back in Scotland.

Breslin uses Francis's letters to Maggie to illustrate what life was like for soldiers in the trenches. Francis's letters tell what troops experienced in the trenches and the effect the new type of warfare would have on millions of surviving soldiers, many suffering "shell shock" or what would decades later become known as post traumatic stress syndrome. In a letter to Maggie, he writes that the men are "half out of their wits with noise or driven  down by fear and cold, poor rations, and no hope of leave this winter...the fact that we have gained little advances this year with a colossal casualty list had caused many to complain.
But some of the punishments seem barbaric -- where a man is tied for hours to the wheel of a wagon, or deprived of food and kept in solitary confinement."

The madness of the entire war becomes more and more evident to Francis and is demonstrated in his letters to Maggie. For example he relates that in an effort to help the men under his command, Francis went to his commanding officer and requested blankets for the men. He was turned down. The men could not be made comfortable in order that they understand they would soon be moving forward. Francis attempts to counter this by reasoning with his CO, "But sir, we have occupied these very same trenches for the last two years. The men cannot have failed to notice this." To which he replied: "Nevertheless." I found myself unable to respond. In the face of such monumental madness, my chin began to shake and I could not articulate a reply."

Breslin also shows that as the war drags on, even supporters begin to turn against it. Maggie joined the war effort making munitions in a factory but as she learns more about the fighting conditions from Francis, as she hears about the wounded, and watches the suffering of families who have lost all their sons or an only son, she begins to change her mind. When she learns the effects the munitions have on the bodies of soldiers from a book Charlotte lends her, Maggie knows she cannot continue to make bombs.She writes to Francis that if people on both sides of the conflict stopped making the bombs, maybe the war would stop. This is in direct opposition to what she's been told - that more bombs will end the war sooner. "My thought is that if the manufacturing of arms for the War ceased, then there would be no more war. I am sure the mothers and sisters of German soldiers would agree. If this happened and production everywhere stopped, then so would the War, and the leaders would be forced to conduct a peace." Francis warns her that such thoughts would be considered treasonous and that he plans to "lose" her letter.

Perhaps the character Alex best illustrates how the romance of war clashes with the reality of battle. When Alex experiences his first attack it is completely different from what he thought. He thought it would be orderly and exciting but was confronted with something totally different.
"Alex had always imagined that being in a battle would be a definite thing. Commanders would lead at the front, and everyone else would know exactly what was happening. He had thought almost that he would be able to watch the action as well as take part. He had not envisaged the mess, the chaos, the running and shouting, the unbearable noise, and the overwhelming awfulness of it. He ...had no awareness of what was actually happening. It was his first experience of an attack, and he hated everything about it. There was no excitement, no joy of marching forward together to defeat the enemy, only a dull tense pain of dreadful anticipation in his gut and then an explosion of gunfire and confusion."

Alex also changes his view of Germans whom he understood committed terrible atrocities on prisoners of war. His primary reason for enlisting is to avenge the death of his brother, John Malcolm. When Alex kills a German soldier in revenge for his brother's death, at first he feels elation. However, he can't kill the second soldier who is boy like himself. As he spends several weeks with the injured German soldier whose name is Kurt, Alex begins to see the humanity in his enemy and realizes that killing won't help him remember John Malcolm. He makes the decision to risk his own life to save Kurt's.

If Francis represents the millions of soldiers who returned from war damaged, Charlotte represents the millions of British and Scottish women from that generation who lost future husbands and who would marry simply because there were not young in the years following the war. Charlotte, Maggie and Annie demonstrate how the war impacted friends, sisters and mothers as they struggle to come to terms with the loss of future husbands, brothers and sons. They are told their men are dying to keep a country free from oppression but at what cost?

There are many, many themes to explore in this novel; the use of child soldiers in World War I, the concept of just war, the effect of patriotism on war and soldiers, the use of media in warfare especially in producing propaganda, and the role of women in war to name a few.

It's a shame this novel is no longer in print and I do hope that it will be offered once again for publication. Remembrance is an amazing novel, well worth the read and is one of the best historical fiction novels written for young people about the Great War.

Book Details:

Remembrance by Theresa Breslin
New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf       2002
296 pp.