3/5 Stars
Born in Hannover in 1924, Rosemarie Dalheim and her family
moved to England three years later. With a flourishing business employing five
people, the Dalheims were considered ‘desirable aliens’ and soon granted
permanent residence. Settling in Hull, life felt safe and secure in those
sunny, pre-war days.
However, with
Hitler’s rise to power and the growing tension and hostility within Europe,
Rosemarie and her family suddenly fell under suspicion and scrutiny, even by
former friends and colleagues. Having a German accent in England was now a very
undesirable thing indeed.
Despite attempting
to maintain a sense of normality and stability in those challenging times, the
inevitable finally happened – war broke out and the Dalheims were interned in a
camp on the Isle of Man.
The Sunny Hours is a tale of divided loyalties, and the
struggle for acceptance and belonging. With warmth and humour Rosemarie Dalheim
recounts the confusion and uncertainty of a young girl, feeling both British
and German, growing up in Britain during World War II.
An amazingly
well written story of a German child's experience of being interned in Britain
during WWII, and a glimpse of the start of Nazi Germany through the innocent
eyes of a child.
Currently Reading: Switched - Amanda Hocking
Read in 2012: 5/20
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