The Second World War Book

I greatly enjoyed this story about three young friends growing up in Ireland during the war. The characters were interesting, three girls from different backgrounds with very different parents.

A new teacher arrives and she is German. Instantly the girls start speculating that she could be a spy and fuelled by a dangerous mixture of nationalism, a 'them and us' attitude from their own situation as Catholics and Protestants, the war propaganda and an ignorance towards a human beings feelings they set out to watch Frauline Berg and warn off those who get close to her.

It's a sad story but feels realistic, it seems quite plausible that this could happen amidst the general hysteria of the war propaganda and it's equally as poignant that these girls do not come across as evil bullies in any other part of their lives, apart from their actions to Frauline Berg I quite liked them but their ignorance made all but one of the friends seem totally oblivious of the implications of their actions to this poor young woman.

The end seemed wrapped up a bit too neatly for me, it felt as if all was forgotten and forgiven and it all turned out well in the end. I suppose it was the era but I'm surprised nobody talked to the girls about their behaviour although a lot of it went unknown, but sadly I suspect this was the general feeling at the time by adults too, that Germany and all Germans were the enemy. One of the girls mother's wisely said 'be careful when you say everybody, it's a very big word'