Uncertain Soldier

Gr 8 Up—When 17-year-old German Erich Hofmeyer's Nazi ship goes down at sea he's taken to a Canadian prisoner of war camp but finds that he's not allegiant enough to the Nazis for his fellow prisoners. After he is severely beaten, he's offered an opportunity to transfer to a remote logging camp where Canadians and German prisoners must work together. There, Erich befriends 12-year-old Max, who hangs around the camp. Born in Canada to German immigrants, Max is bullied for being German. A series of mysterious "accidents" leave German prisoners injured, and Erich is pressured by other prisoners to find out who is responsible because he is the only one who speaks English. Harassed by his compatriots yet shunned by most of the Canadians, Erich gets closer to the truth as pressure mounts on all sides. Bass develops complex characters with layered backstories that provide humanity to a group of people, Germans during World War II, often portrayed as one-dimensional. The plotting is methodical, increasing in tension as Erich contends with German prisoners, Canadian workers, and the camp owners who could send him back to the prisoner camp. His relationship with Max grows as Max's bullying intensifies, developing into a poignant friendship. Violence is present throughout, with spare use of profanity, brutal yet integral to the story. The author's research is evident yet deftly woven into the fabric of the narrative.