![]() Granted, the characters believed Gemma came to the US before the war. There are some issues with the book-the shallowness of the minor characters, the inordinate convenience of Josef Potocki's appearance in the story-but these are easily brushed aside due to the cruel beauty of the fairy tale, which is indisputably the highlight of the novel. "Gemma's" version of Briar Rose has long been one of my favorite modern retellings. I wouldn't necessarily hand this book to a child under 10, but it's definitely appropriate for 6th graders and up.Īs for the book itself, Yolen does a lovely job of interweaving past and present, fairy tale and reality. This is historical fact, and one that tends to be overlooked. ![]() The Nazis persecuted homosexuals nearly as zealously as they persecuted the Jews. ![]() As for the 'homosexual themes' I've seen some reviewers mention. Children are far more capable of handling dark subject matter than most adults will admit. I was 9 or 10 when I first read it 15 years ago and though I may not have grasped everything in it with quite the same degree of understanding that I bring to it nowadays, it certainly wasn't unsuitable. I tend to disagree with the reviewers who say this book is unsuitable for readers under 14.
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