The Hunted

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

This breathlessly paced historical novel is not a literary masterpiece, but it does an outstanding job of recreating the ambience of WW II France, measuring the chill efficiency of the Gestapo and assessing the ruthless fervor of other accomplices to the Holocaust. When the Italian forces withdraw from France following Italy's surrender in 1943, Vito Salvani, an Italian corporal, gets trapped behind enemy lines--along with Judah, a Jewish child he has promised to take to the safety of Italy. A few innocent missteps and unlucky encounters bring Salvani and his charge to the attention of a particularly single-minded inspector from the Vichy secret police, and a harrowing pursuit begins. Those who help Salvani and Judah are severely punished; several scenes of a Gestapo interrogation suggest the brutality and inexorability of the government's treatment of Jews and other so-called enemies. Carter's ( Borderlands ; Bury the Dead ) characterizations are thin, and neither Salvani nor Judah ever takes on a life beyond the page. Even so, their story is believable and utterly gripping; the reader will leave this novel with some appreciation of the extraordinary good fortune and courage of people who successfully resisted the Nazi regime. Ages 12-up. (May)

The ALAN Review - John Jacob

Peter Carter tells two stories here. One story is about the brave, stolid Italian soldier stuck with a young Jewish boy in war-torn France just as Italy pulls out of the war. The other is a story of evil, represented by a man named Palet, one of the Fascist French police. Palet literally goes mad trying to find the rough Italian and the young Jewish boy. This is not a book for the squeamish. As Carter tells his tale, he relates more and more about Palet and his fixation on the Italian and the Jew, and the fact that his orders come from the infamous Klaus Barbie from Lyons, who is accountable to Adolf Hitler. This is a story of resistance by the Italian soldiers and by many of the French, and of a heroic act at the Swiss border. It keeps the reader wanting more, and it never fails to deliver a twist here, an unexpected change there. It is a book well worth a young reader's time, especially those unfamiliar with the role of the Italians in World War II.

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-In the south of France in 1943, weary Italian troops are about to head home after the Italian surrender. Among them is Corporal Vito Salvani, an amiable giant of a man. However, things are not easy as the Italian troops try to rescue the Jews in their sector from the approaching Germans. Circumstances find Salvani walking toward the Italian border with a small Jewish boy, Judah. Meanwhile, a maniacal member of the French police, a collaborator named Palet, is after them because he believes the child possesses diamonds. This is the tale of their journey and the people who help them along the way. The plot develops rather well and is full of excitement. However, with the exception of Salvani, character development is sacrificed. Salvani is a true human being, with his concern for the child alternating with his occasional desire to leave him behind and continue on home. Though the man is not bright, he realizes his limitations; it is his strength and inherent kindness that get him through. Other characters are strongly stereotyped, especially Palet and the Germans with whom he works. They are completely evil with no redeeming qualities. The story is good and, for the most part, flows well. However, some chapters begin with a description of what was happening to the Jews who didn't escape. Poignant early in the story, especially with the use of names to make it more real, this diversion becomes disruptive later on. The book is rather long, but it's an interesting tale about a little-known aspect of the war.-Margaret B. Rafferty, Appalachian Regional Library, West Jefferson, NC

Merri Monks

Italy's surrender to the Allies in July_ 1943 is good news to Corporal Vito Salvani, since he can now return to his homeland from his tour of duty in southern France. However, a terrible car crash during the army's retreat leaves Salvani to travel home on foot with Judah, a small Jewish boy. In their frenzy to complete their Final Solution, Hitler and his Gestapo step up their efforts to murder all of Europe's Jews. Pursued by Palet, an agent of the Milice, Salvani and Judah flee over the Alps toward neutral Switzerland and safety. The novel is very long, contains some improbable scenes, and, at times, becomes melodramatic. While it lacks any young adult characters, it does have a thrilling and sustained action/adventure plot, and the historical details are authentic. The psychological horror of the Nazi mentality is extremely well portrayed. Salvani's continuing moral choice, to save Judah while putting his own life at risk, is also well done.