Donna J. Stoltzfus

Captive by Donna Stoltzfus is about the tragedies of war, and overcoming prejudices. It is 1944 and John Witmer has gone to the neighboring Miller farm to work, earning money to help his family while his father is off fighting in the war. Also working on the farm is a small group of German POWs. At first John feels only hostility towards them. Soon enough, though, he begins to get to know the young men, especially Hans. The two eventually bond over art, and develop a friendship. Hans even saves John's life when a fire breaks out. They think the fire was started by one of the POWs- Deiter- who should never have been with the Miller's workers at all. Unlike them, Deiter is still rabidly Nazi. John has a hand in recapturing him, thanks to his art.

Then comes the day John gets word his father is coming home. He sustained an injury and is sent back Stateside. Nothing prepares John for his father's appearance nor his reaction towards the pictures John drew of the POWs at the Miller farm, which goes beyond his typical animosity regarding John's art. He pulls John from his work on the farm and forbids him from entering any of his pictures in an art contest whose theme is how war has affected those back home. John's father doesn't even care that it was one of those POWs that saved his son's life. He finally relents and allows John to enter a picture that shows none of the prisoners. The contest exhibition helps his father in more ways than one.

This was a powerful, poignant tale of forgiveness and growth. Both John, and later his father, get lessons in empathy. Many of the German prisoners were coerced to serve. It's a reminder that the German people themselves were under threat of death if they bucked against the Nazi monstrosity. They did what they had to in order to survive, but never bought into the propaganda. They aren't monsters. Most are just like us. We see the trauma of war, and how it affects people, both civilians and soldiers. A part of me understands his father's reactions, even if I disagree with how he handled everything. His father was shipped home, maimed and injured, yet without an adequate support system for getting through adjusting. I understand bitterness in the wake of devastating injury though. The fear and sense of loss. Reading this reminded me of reading the book Summer of my German Soldier when in middle school. I'd definitely recommend this book instead, for middle school reading!

***Many thanks to the Netgalley and Schiffer Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.… (altro)