Would you break the rules or break your promise? On the outskirts of Edinburgh, just before the outbreak of WW2, Charlie finds a starving German boy called Josef hiding in the woods near his home. Josef can't speak English and is desperately afraid, especially of anyone in uniform.
Charlie promises to help Josef find his Jewish relatives in the city. It's a journey that will force them to face their fears, testing their new-found friendship, and Charlie's promise, to the limit.
Annemarie Allan was born in Edinburgh, lived briefly in California and then for much longer in London, before returning to Scotland, where she decided it was time to take her writing seriously.
Her first published novel, Hox, won the 2007 Kelpies Prize and was shortlisted for both the Scottish Children's Book of the Year and the Heart of Hawick book awards. Her third novel, Ushig, a fantasy based on Scottish myths and legends, was shortlisted for the 2011 Essex Children's Book Award.
She writes for both adults and children and has authored several booklets on the history of East Lothian, where she now lives. She was a contributor to the historical review of East Lothian 1945-2000, edited by Sonia Baker, which was awarded first prize in the Alan Ball Local History Award 2010. More recently, her short story, 'Entrapment', won the flash fiction section of the 2015 Federation of Writers (Scotland) annual competition.
Her novels and short stories range from fantasy and science fiction to historical and contemporary fiction, taking their inspiration from the landscape and culture of Scotland, both past and present.
Annemarie's fourth novel, Charlie's Promise, was published by Cranachan under the Pokey Hat imprint, as part of the Yesteryear series.
Title: Charlie's Promise
Author: Allan, Annemarie
ISBN: 9781911279150
Binding:
Publisher: Cranachan Publishing Limited
Publication Date: 2017-03-20
Number of Pages: 192
Weight: 0.2677 kg
'Poignant, graceful, and relevant for today'
Alex Nye
Poignant, graceful, and relevant for today
- Alex Nye
It's 1938 at Morison's Haven, a small harbour on the outskirts of Edinburgh. War is on the horizon, but for young Charlie it seems remote and unlikely; until the first ripple from the conflict breaks on the shore of the Firth of Forth in the arrival of Jozef, a starving German boy, lost and alone, whom Charlie finds hiding in the woods when his schoolfriend Jean ropes him into searching for a stray dog.
The terror that Jozef feels, marooned in a new and frightening place, is almost visceral, and made all the more immediate by being told without words. Charlie's empathy bridges the gap between the boys, and Jean provides a headstrong sense of adventure to keep them moving - even if she doesn't always get things quite right!
It's a timely reminder of the need for humanity in our approach to people who have lost their homes, their families, their countries, and come looking for sanctuary.
Charlie's Promise cleverly weaves a story about a single boy into the overall historical narrative, putting a tired and scared human face on the vast forces of history that are raging just over the horizon in the aftermath of Kristallnacht. Highly recommended.
- John Fulton
