Though both stories were interesting, I found Ilse’s to be the more compelling, as she was a character who took action, mainly because her life didn’t leave her any other options.  As she tries to get back to her mother, she becomes increasingly responsible for her father, who won’t do anything to get them to safety.  Charlesworth writes so easily from Ilse’s point of view that you don’t notice at first how negligent her father is being of her, because Ilse is too young to think it herself; and then when someone comes around and points it out, you’re like, Oh hey.  Yeah he is being negligent.  Sheesh.  Eventually Ilse joins the Resistance.  It’s very brave of her.   And, um, Nicolai gets bombed in Hamburg.  I thought more was going to happen with Nicolai, but it was essentially just being nice to Ilse’s mother and not liking the Hitler Youth.  Oh well.

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