It is 1942 and nine-year-old Bruno has just moved from Berlin to “Out-With.” “The Fury” transferred his father, a high ranking Nazi commandant. Bruno is incredibly unhappy here since there are no other children his age. Bruno goes exploring one day and meets Shmuel who lives on the other side of a long fence that separates his house from a sandy area with flat buildings. Shmuel is thin, pale and sad and is wearing gray, striped pajamas. Bruno brings him food. They exchange stories about each other’s lives. Neither boy has much of an understanding of the events which are actually taking place in “Out-With.” The story is told through Bruno’s eyes as a child who does not question authority. His innocence is believable and allows the story to unfold as their friendship grows. The ending is horrifying but believable.
This book is not for the faint of heart. It deals with the subject of the Holocaust in a unique, yet powerful account of a friendship between two nine-year-old boys who are yearning to connect.
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