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Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
Annette Oppenlander's 5 Months: The Wait is part of the Biographical WWII Stories for Teens Series, and this one is set in April 1945 in Solingen, Germany. The war is over. Solingen has finally surrendered to the USA, but for some people, life cannot go back to normal. Günter is 16. Not only is Solingen destroyed, but there’s nothing to eat and nowhere to go. Even worse, he hasn’t heard from his brother in five months, and his father is missing. He and Helmut, his best friend, set about the task of surviving and are invited to join a boxing club, but the lack of food takes its toll. In May 1945, Germany finally gives in, and German men start arriving back in the town, but there’s no sign of Günter’s father or brother. He has survived the war but what will happen if his family cannot get back together?
Annette Oppenlander's 5 Months is a wonderfully told story of what many millions of people experienced when WWII ended. It may be fiction, but it is firmly based on historical fact and truth, coming from Annette’s father’s memories of his time as a youth during the war. This is an exceptional story, written in a way that allows you to feel every emotion, to imagine that you are there in the thick of things. This a continuation of the other two books in the series, highlighting the very real struggles of Helmut and Günter. In my opinion, this is a great way of learning about the realities of life during WWII, and the entire series should be compulsory reading in schools all over the world. I could also see this being made into a TV series, one that should be compulsory viewing during school history lessons. A fantastic book; the grief, struggles, and the daily grind of trying to survive are felt very keenly. Highly recommended reading.
