Will I love Black Radishes?

After reading Susan Lynn Meyer’s book I sought her out. I didn’t expect a response, I needed to tell her how much I appreciated her book and how I adored the bond she had with her characters. It felt like she was sharing a family story. She validated my theory. Her book is based on her family’s history. Gustave is a French Jewish boy living in Paris at the beginning of the book. He watches and documents the Nazi party taking over Europe. She shares precise small details…you feel connected to what’s going on in Gustave’s life. You understand his… show more.

This story is loosely based on the author’s father’s childhood in France and his family’s escape from the Nazis. In this nail-biter, young Gustave is forced to grow up too quickly and find the courage to risk his life to help bring his aunt and cousins out of German-occupied France. To keep his family safe in the unoccupied countryside of France, he must keep his Jewish identity hidden. The cruelty of the German guards and one of Gustave’s classmates is contrasted with the kindness and bravery of a girl who befriends Gustave and helps him and his family through her… show more.