Dark Hours

by Gudrun Pausewang, J. Maxwell Brownjohn (translator)

Entombed following a bombing raid at the close of World War II, three children struggle to survive. On Gisel's 16th birthday, her world, like the war effort, begins to crumble. Her father is away, serving in the German army, when the advancing Allies force the rest of the family to flee their home. Gisel, her younger brothers, and their pregnant mother board a crowded train. But when their mother goes into labor, the children are separated from her at the next station. Before they know what's happening an air raid siren sounds, and Gisel barely manages to hustle her siblings into a trackside bathroom. When the bombs hit, the children are trapped. As they await rescue, Gisel's only adult communication is with a dying soldier, buried on the other side of the wall, who offers guidance on how to survive. Told as a grandmothers birthday gift to her 16-year-old granddaughter, Dark Hours is a suspenseful and dramatic novel about the injustice of war, its impact on ordinary people, and the hope that resonates in the human soul.

Genres: Historical Fiction, War, Fiction, Young Adult, World War II, Historical, Juvenile

212 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Gudrun Pausewang (1928 - 2020) was a German writer of children's and teen fiction, also noted in science fiction for young-adult novels like The Last Children of Schewenborn.

Pausewang was born in Eastern Bohemia of German ancestry and after World War II her family settled in the former West Germany. She later became a teacher and taught in Germany's foreign school services in South America. She has written 86 novels with many of them involving the Third World and environmental concerns.

She has won several awards, including the German Federal Cross of Merit, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis and the Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis for The Cloud in 1988.

She was the older sister of Freya Pausewang.

Reviews

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd have given this book 5 stars except for one thing. The story is told from the point of view of a German girl living with her family in Silesia (Poland) during World War II. When the Russians begin to invade and drive out the Germans, Gisel and her family must flee back to Germany. On their way to Dresden she and her brothers are separated from their mother and grandmother, and end up trapped in a bombed out air raid shelter. Now, in the story she tells of being in the Nazi Youth and of her parents' loyalty to Hitler. Given that, in one place the author has Gisel thinking about the British, Russians, and Americans not as enemies, but as victims just like her, and in another place she has Gisel thinking that, though the Allies have done awful things to the Germans, the Germans have done just as many terrible things to the enemies. Somehow, those two interjections just didn't flow with the rest of the story, and seemed to be placed there to create a more balanced view of the war. I don't think a child who had been brought up in such a home would have thought of those things. Pausewang did include an introduction giving background information on the war and stating her view that the Germans should never have allowed Hitler to have that much power. I think the introduction should have sufficed. Aside from that, the story was very suspenseful--I really couldn't put it down. I particularly liked how the author framed the story between two letters, and told what happened to the characters after the story ended. An excellent translation by John Brownjohn--highly recommended for another view of World War II.

[Amanda]

Pairing and Overview: I will pair Dark Hours by Gudrun Pausewang with the novel Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Both novels take place, at least in part, during World War II in Germany, and include the bombing of Dresden. While Slaughterhouse Five depicts the war and the bombing from an American soldier’s point of view, Dark Hours delivers the perspective of a German family who get separated and children who must survive on their own.

1. Book Citation: Pausewang, Gudrun. Dark Hours. Toronto: Annick Press, 2006.

2. Audience: Junior and senior high students who are interested in history and/or who enjoy
reading about intense situations and action. It includes action of war such as bombings, but also
interpersonal relationships. It is set during World War II in Germany, but focuses on a
teenage protagonist who must grow up quickly and take care of herself and her family.
The combination of warlike action and personal experiences allows this book to appeal to more than
just the average history buff.

3. Selection Criteria: The book accurately addresses historical events and includes an introduction to which contains maps and other facts necessary for readers to understand the context of the story. It was written on good authority, as Gudrun Pausewang is a German author who lived through World
War II in Germany and based this novel on her personal experiences. The book was translated by
John Brownjohn, who is a leading translator of German in the United Kingdom. Furthermore,
Annick Press is a respectable publisher of children and young adult fiction and non-fiction. As seen below, Dark Hours is relevant to the curriculum, as it addresses events of World War II, an important part of the World History curriculum. In addition to the historical setting and references, this is a work of fiction that features a young adult protagonist faced with difficult circumstances; this helps the novel appeal to young adult readers. It is recommended for students in middle grades through senior high by multiple reviews and publishing information. The scope of the novel is enhanced by the combination of historical facts and personal experience. Dark Hours won the Silver Independent Publisher Book Award in 2007 for Juvenile/Young /Adult Fiction in the United States and was named a Best Book in the Middle and Junior High School Library Cataolog, Supplement to Ninth Edition, 2007 by the H.W. Wilosn Company. Overall, this book is valuable to a high school library collection because it supports the current curriculum and brings a valuable personal perspective to the historical events it portrays.

4. Review Source: Fiske, Amy. VOYA, December 2006 (Vol. 29, No.5)

5. SOL Connection: WHII.12 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the worldwide impact of World
War II by a) explaining economic and political causes, describing major events, and identifying leaders of the war, with emphasis on Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, George C. Marshall, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Hideki Tojo, and Hirohito; b) examining the Holocaust and other examples of genocide in the twentieth century; c) explaining the terms of the peace, the war crimes trials, the division of Europe, plans to rebuild Germany and Japan, and the creation of international cooperative organizations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).

6. Ordering Information: Dark Hours. Hardcover. Fiction. 2006. 212p. Annick Press. $18.08.
978-1554510429.

[Jordan Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read from the perspective of a German girl during ww2, I gained insight on people and their experiences during ww2. It was a humbling when I read about everything Gisel went through for her and her family.

[Mrs.E · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at the close of WWII.

[Ismael Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I start let me just say that this Book Review talks about World War 2.
If you don't know what was WW2 then you must be living under a rock. Basically in a nutshell WW2 was one of the most bloody wars in history that was the Nazi
lead by Adolf Hitler with the support of the near by lands vs the rest of the world. Oh now you wan't to hear more about WW2 don't you? Well to bad this is a book review not the history Chanel (Which by the way did you see the one with Alexander the great ?) Did I tell you that there is going to be spoilers? If not then READ THE FUDGING BOOK . There now you can't say didn't warn you when you want to read this book. before you do you should watch a documentary on WW2. Don't worry I'll wait .... Oh your back did you wipe your Cheetos dust filled hands?



It is during the bombing of Germany (around 1942) where a family of Germans are about to celebrate a young girl named Gisel' birthday when her dad is sent to fight in the war. The family is later told to flee the country with the rest of the civilians. The family of Germans are quickly fleeing the country by train like the rest when all the sudden Britain sent an air raid on Germany causing the family to go to the under ground bunker to gain safety but at the trouble that the family got split up so it was Gisel and her two brothers to survive on there own. Soon Gisel realizes that watching two kids is no easy task this. later the second air raid from Britain comes with Gisel and her brothers out side of the shelter and in a near by house that was hit by a bomb. Now stuck they are left helpless and to die decaying with nothing but a broom and each other.Soon Gisel hatches a plan and that plan is to hit the wall with the broom until either A someone hears it and saves them. On the other hand she and her brothers will die. soon they are saved and that's was the end of there story


To analysis the book we must first talk about what we read. So basically there is a girl and her brothers and they are stuck in a building during a bomb. This alone can tell give us a atmosphere that sets the theme of the story. How you may ask? Well let me explain then if you want to know. Basically this text gives us the feeling of fear, fear like no other fear that makes you want to hide under your superman sheets that lie on your bed as you cry for help. Also In the start of the other paragraph I tell you that this took place around 1942 during
WW2. This is important to mention because lets be honest there is nothing more scary than bombs. Just picture this scene:You are walking by a park filled with kids when all the sudden a bomb falls on it killing every one including you.



In my opinion this book was super good. from the start to the end every little
detail had no flaw. the book also gave the reader a nice secure theme for them to imagine the WW2. Also the the facts that's this is base of a true story. Oh didn't I tell you that this is based on the Authors eyes. Well now you know and the more you know the better. Also the book gives you some history on WW2 so in other words this book may just help you on a test. Then again this is my opinion on the subject.


For Dark hours the rating I give it is 5 out of 5 stars. Why you may ask ? well see the paragraph before this one for the answer to your question. I recommend this book to everyone who likes wars stories and teachers that are teaching the subject (ELA and S.S mostly). The final thing I have to say is ask yourself this question. what was going on during WW2? Well bye and happy thanksgiving. :) (All rights go to Gudrun Pausewang)

[Sensitivemuse · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is told in Gisel's point of view and it's an interesting one. She tells you how her life was when the war was going good for Germany and then how it started turning against them, you can feel her bitterness towards the war. Actually, you can feel it towards everybody in this book as now since the tide has turned, frequent visits to the air raid shelters are all over Germany, and talk against Hitler and the German government is also starting to rise. The idea of leaving all that she loved behind and having to take care of all her siblings (all younger than her) just enhances her bitterness towards the war. However throughout the book I admire Gisel's strength and courage when they were stuck beneath the rubble waiting to be rescued. She does get impatient several times as any other older sibling would do when they're stuck with their younger ones (Gisel especially gets annoyed with Lotte who's a spoiled brat). I think it adds realism to her character and rounds her out very well.

I think her courage stemmed off from her brother Erwin who is a few years younger but acts very mature and helps Gisel when needed. I liked him as he provided the extra strength she needed to keep being positive and to survive. The other part is the solder who is also stuck underneath the rubble but is able to communicate to them with a pipe (he was on the other side of the wall). He provides Gisel with advice and also advises her to make as much noise as possible in the hopes of being heard and rescued quickly.

What I liked most about the book is Gisel's ability to pull everybody together and to maintain a positive outlook while in times of duress. For someone who has barely just turned sixteen, she ages and matures quickly and you can actually hear her voice growing "older".

There is no real plot in this book which may be a deterrent to some readers. The majority of the book takes place underneath the rubble and all you really read are Gisel's thoughts. It may or may not draw readers in, so perhaps I would only recommend this book for World War II buffs. Otherwise, for those who aren't, it certainly is worth a try. It's a little over 200 pages so it should be a breeze for the majority of readers out there.

Overall an interesting account of someone who is on "the other side" of war. Albeit, with no real plot it's certainly worth a look see.

[Luke Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I read Dark Hours by Gudrun Pausewang for my SRP project. In this fiction, the author is
telling the story of her own 16th birthday to her granddaughter. Trying to inspire the granddaughter, the book really conveys courage and responsibility, as well as despair and fear. Dark Hours tells the story of a family in Germany, 1945, that becomes separated through the chaos of trying to evacuate their hometown. A 16 year-old girl is left in charge of her 3 younger brothers at a train station while their mom and grandma try to find tickets and seats on the train to the "safe" zone, Dredsen. The girl, Gisel, and her 3 brothers, Erwin, Harald, and Rolfi are waiting when an air raid siren sounds, and Gisel rushes into a bathroom with her brothers and a lost 7 year old girl, Lotte, for cover. That's when the bombs strike, trapping them for hours. Just outside the bathroom they are trapped in, a wounded soldier lay dying. The soldier gives advice to Gisel on how to survive and keep the little ones alive, too. "My stomach is knotted with hunger. I quickly zip up the bag. We might be down here for a week. Or even longer" (Pausewang 143). My opinion on the novel is quite simple. It would take a lot of perseverance and courage for anyone to survive and ration their food under the conditions that the kids went through. I am also amazed that this is a true story based on the author's 16th birthday. I could never imagine staying in a closed-off bathroom for that long after an air-raid. The book is very well written throughout its entirety, and I definitely would recommend it any interested teens or young adults.

[Yinglin Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gisel, a 15 year old German Sophomore, has to flee from her hometown due to the Russian Troops invading. Life isn't so great. She has to carry one of her brothers, and watch her 2nd youngest brother, also when she needs to carry three luggages that will help them survive. As the air raid signal goes off, everyone scrambles to find shelter, and Gisel is seperated from her grandmother. They spend days hididng in a collasped bathroom, struggling to get out. The building that they were in got bombed, however, the bathroom they were staying was still together. As everyday goes by, Gisel hopes for her siblings would get out safely.

Hope, is a big thing in this book. It never faded from Gisel, and her brothers. They strive to live through each day, with a small bite of bread, and a small sip of water. They manage to stay strong each day and help their neighbor on the other side of the collasped walls. They never lose hope, even if it seemed like they will never get out. They spend their mornings making a racket, so outsiders will know that there are living people stuck in the collasped building.

[Lauren A · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. I decided to read this book because i wanted to know what it tustve been like in WW2.
2. The quote "Its selfish of us, I know, but I'm so tired of worrying about everyone else first! Why shouldn't think of myself for once? Of my thirst?" (pg 153) appealed to me because the way the author uses rhetorical questions to show the main characters emotions and feelings, I thought, was really well done.
3. What I liked about the book was the language the author used to display emotions and how the author showed character development in everyone because it really keeps me wanting to read and finish the book. The only thing I didn't like was that the text kind of repeated itself, but I understand its hard for anything different to happen when the book is about a group of children stuck underground.
5.What the text made me think deeply about was how i would react to the situation the main characters were in. For being buried underground for about a week all the characters handled it very well. I also realised how horrible it must have been in the war for every one, and how cruel someone must be to want to inflict all that chaos onto the world.

[Beverly Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read much about the war from the allied side. This book, without trying to justify the war, shows the effect on a German family who first believed in their leader, then began to doubt Hitler, then had to flee the invasion of the allies. It showed the fear and destruction that war brings to children and adults. The author shows how war destroys the innocent along with the guilty on both sides. No matter whose fault, war is disastrous. Told from the view of a young girl, the reader is allowed to forget which side she comes from, just that the children are caught in a deadly situation not of their making and beyond their control.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based in Nazi Germany it was interesting to read a book from a German perspective. Now 76, Gisel is writing to her granddaughter who is about to turn 16 recounting the terrifying episode that occurred to her when she, herself, turned 16. Gisel is an authentic voice as she shares her experiences and fear about being trapped underground with four younger children. Events about the family before they fled their home is revealed through flashbacks and dreams and add detail to their lives. This is a story about courage and survival and is a worthwhile companion to the other Y.A. World War II fiction books.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is good in the views it brings up. It definitely shows that German children suffered through WWII, at the same time that their elders were causing the Jews to suffer. A controversial point, to be sure, but an important one: war doesn't help anyone, and often hurts your loved ones the same as your "enemies". The book dragged at points, but it was very compelling during the active parts; the main character was strong and interesting. Again, I would advise a 6-8 grade reading level for subject matter, but a good book nonetheless for even older age groups.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Perhaps my story will show you that even ordinary people like us can be strong when we have to be."

what an amazing story about love for family and the will to live. Not even the will, but the fight. And the strength of one girl and a gaggle of kids - how the war affected them and how they made it through.

it's a very well done story.

[17irvina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is perfect who would love to learn more about the devastating effects of war on ordinary families. This book will truly give you a blast from the past on an exciting adventure. There are cliffhangers that will leave you on the edge of your seat

[Serina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice easy read, contempltaing the hardships of war. I found it quite depressing at time. But it is still a real good book to read

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional historical fiction.