Review: To Find a Mountain
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 18, 2013
I didn't notice if this is considered a YA novel, but it would be appropriate for young readers. There is little graphic violence, and even then, it is in small bits with a lot of implication rather than specific detail. There is romance in the way that only teenagers can fall in love with naive disregard for the danger involved, but no graphic sex. There is no profane language (that I can recall).The story is based on the Nazi German occupation of a very small Italian town. While there are a few evil German soldiers, for the most part the occupying forces are either insignificant to the story or are, deep-down, soft-hearted.As it stands, it's a superficial look at a bit of WWII history. Unless one knows more about the events of the time, much of what happens won't be any more meaningful that a teen romance in any other setting. The reason for the men 'going to the mountain' isn't explained until part way through the book, and even then, doesn't seem to convey the real tragedy of these men leaving their families. The men would be conscripted and forced to fight for the Germans with a near-guarantee of dying. At the same time, it seems odd that the men abandon their families to whatever fate holds for their wives and children at the hands of the Germans occupiers. The extreme deprivation of both villagers and Germans is glossed over.For these reasons, I thought this book would be a good introduction to one small aspect of WWII, for a younger reader (junior high). I think older teens and certainly adults would be better served by a more detailed look at the realities of this war.