The Boy at the Top of the Mountain

Reviewed by: Ann Marie Townsend - South Berwick Public Library, South Berwick, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 11, 2016

Review

Set in Paris in 1936, seven year-old Pierrot Fischer is orphaned. He had a French mother and a German father who suffered from the effects of WWI, now known as PTSD. He briefly lives with his best friend and his widowed mother, both Jewish. He is then sent to an orphanage, and then to live with his aunt, the housekeeper for Hitler in the Austrian mountains. She changes his name to the German Pieter and encourages him to only speak German. Over time, going against his aunt's wishes, he begins to crave the power and is influenced and corrupted by Hitler. Often he doesn't think or realize, because of his youth, the horrible outcomes caused by his actions while just wanting to please Hitler with his loyalty. The consequences are brutal and painful and leave lifelong trauma. Well written, shows how people can be coerced and prejudiced to do the unthinkable. This is very thought provoking and, while historic fiction, it is a good starting point for discussions about how people can be led and manipulated by extremists and why it is so important to remember and face what happened, not to deny reality even if it is painful. Recommended.

Overall Book Score: excellent