Jana is a young Romani girl travelling through Czechoslovakia in 1939. Her family has noticed the increasing presence of the German Army and their treatment of the people around them. Jana's family decides to stay in Prague with their extended family, just ahead of the Nazi invasion. Jana finds a job at a castle where she notices secret messages being passed. Jana realizes that she can help and becomes part of the Resistance. Jana's cousins and his friend, Otto, Max and Albert are also trying to help other families and the Resistance, but soon their efforts will cause problems too close to home.
Caravans in the Dark is a World War II novel written from the Romani point of view, a group who was equally abused by Hitler's policies and was meant to be eradicated under his regime. Through Jana's family, we see a bit into the Romani lifestyle and the abuses and stereotypes they suffered. I enjoyed Jana's character, her willful and courageous spirit and willingness to help despite the danger was amazing for a fifteen year old. The story also reveals the pride of the Czech people as they resist the pending Nazi occupation of their land. Told from multiple points of view, there is a full breadth of the Resistance efforts happening; Jana, Otto, Max are Romani helping to smuggle messages and people, Albert a friend of the Romani and a Czech helping Otto and Max and Franz, a sympathetic Nazi soldier. While I was invested in Jana's story and their efforts to help families and get messages out, I didn't feel a strong sense of suspense or association between all of the events, they just happened. The ending was also strong, but abrupt and I really wanted to know what happened with the family through the war since the story is set in the very beginning.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Caravans in the Dark is a World War II novel written from the Romani point of view, a group who was equally abused by Hitler's policies and was meant to be eradicated under his regime. Through Jana's family, we see a bit into the Romani lifestyle and the abuses and stereotypes they suffered. I enjoyed Jana's character, her willful and courageous spirit and willingness to help despite the danger was amazing for a fifteen year old. The story also reveals the pride of the Czech people as they resist the pending Nazi occupation of their land. Told from multiple points of view, there is a full breadth of the Resistance efforts happening; Jana, Otto, Max are Romani helping to smuggle messages and people, Albert a friend of the Romani and a Czech helping Otto and Max and Franz, a sympathetic Nazi soldier. While I was invested in Jana's story and their efforts to help families and get messages out, I didn't feel a strong sense of suspense or association between all of the events, they just happened. The ending was also strong, but abrupt and I really wanted to know what happened with the family through the war since the story is set in the very beginning.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
