Because this book is about Jews during WWII I thought it would be depressing - it wasn't. Because this book is told from a child's point of view I thought it would be childish or stream of consciousness - it wasn't. This book is alternately a little funny and a little sad, alternately vague and brilliantly lucid, but always it was engaging and delightful!

I submitted a review of this book last week. What happened to it?

the book review that I read in the paper said that the first part of this book, which is set in Java is majical but that when the setting moves to Europe it becomes ordinary. I disagree. I ordered it because of the exotic early setting but I liked it even better as it went on. Description is important to me in a book and I thought that the writer actually lavished more of it on the European section, probably because this is an autobiographical novel and she remembers more clearly what she saw when she was older. I'll never forget the part about the wetlands of Holland because she made me see it so clearly. I highly recommend it.