HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY ONLINE REVIEWS
NOVEMBER 2008:

HITLER AND MARS BARS
Dianne Ascroft, Trafford, 2008, £11.99/$23.22, pb, 338pp, 9781425145910
Erich, a victim of war-ravaged World War II Germany, is part of a little-known Red Cross initiative called Operation Shamrock. The program, instituted following World War II, helped German refugees find homes in the relative calm of rural Ireland. The program, set up in the context of Ireland’s neutral stance, was perhaps a means for Ireland to integrate itself back into the community of Europe following the catastrophic war.
The novel follows Erich’s journey from war-scarred, timid young boy, distraught by the death of his mother, to assertive young man poised to make his mark as he travels to England to begin a new life. Erich is placed in the care of several foster homes as he struggles to assimilate in his new country. He faces many obstacles as he is singled out for his accent, his stuttering, and his stubbornness. Additionally, he finds love, indifference, and cruelty in the homes he visits. A truly heartbreaking moment occurs when he is forced to leave the loving home of Aunt Elsie and Daddy Davy because Aunt Elsie becomes ill and is unable to care for him. Through both hardship and joy, Erich displays resourcefulness, intelligence, and resiliency.
The novel does an excellent job of showing how the devastation of war continues long after the guns have been silenced. Erich is haunted by nightmares and feelings of displacement long after the war has ended. The terrible cost can never be known because we can never truly understand the human consequences for both victims and survivors. This book attempts to help us better understand the plight of one boy as he struggles with war and its aftermath. -- Gerard Shea

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