I never knew that Winston Churchill had an idea to recruit German speakers to the British army, and so this was an interesting read for me. The story has 4 distinct parts as it weaves its way from 1930s Germany and Holland, where Manfred was a teen in Germany and the Netherlands, to being shipped to the UK, to start a life there, alone, learning English and working, to his recruitment to the special forces “three troop” and his training in Wales, and active service on the ground in Germany. The days after the war ended in Germany were of particular interest as he travelled through American and Russian zones towards the camp where his parents were held. The final part is post war, how he made his way to his childhood crush, their reunion and subsequent work returning as visitors to Germany in the 1980s to speak to German school children about history. A very interesting read.
The book read like one of the best WWII stories! I can’t believe I have not heard this story before and that this is not a movie yet! The Gans family are truly inspiring. The last 40 pages had me on the edge to find out what happens next. Will they be reunited? Will Manfred and Anita find love? A very wonderful and heartwarming true story that everyone should read.
I wasn't sure about this one at the start but the true storyline had me hooked early. A family's desire to see their children thrive despite the horrors of war and a true 'long distance' love story made it easy to read.
I expected this to be a novel based on fact. It turned out to be a memoir. It did touch on many aspects of "Freddy's" life, but not in any great detail.