White Eagles & Firebird by Elizabeth Wein

Challenge #4 ~ “A book with a monochromatic cover.”

whiteeagles

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

My opinion in three sentences:

A different take on the World War II story, and one that was clearly researched well. Whilst I wasn’t convinced of their role as short stories, they worked well in tandem, and offered a clear and accessible insight for the middle grade audience. Wein brought her usual high standard of writing and characterisation, too, which led to some high quality (if disappointingly short) wartime fiction from a perspective you don’t often see.

(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:

When stories set in the world war are told in media, they’re usually told from the angles we study in school. What Wein does here, is turn that all on its head, and offer alternative perspectives on events we think we know – and in a way that is digestible and accessible for the middle grade audience. This proved not only refreshing but educational, adding another level of enjoyment to the novellas.

A warning for the book:

It will leave you wanting more – and not necessarily in the good way. I found that, whilst enjoyable and bite-sized, offering these tales as short stories left a lot of their potential untapped. There was so much more about the characters, storylines and setting that could have been explored, and as perspectives that aren’t often told, I think it’s a shame there wasn’t more to them.

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