I was disappointed in the story, I have read Cadbury before and I expected more? The book was mistitled. It was, yes, it was about the German school who decamped without raising any alarums. But it was also about several young boys who eluded capture and being sent to concentration camps. Their stories were only marginally connected to the school in that after the war was over, they made it to England and were able to tell their stories. Obviously, the contrast between their tales and the war years of those children able to live semi-normal lives was a natural comparison, but it was done too abruptly and with little advance warning. ( )

A story endurance and brutality in occupied Poland and nazi Germany. ( )

I listened to this book after downloading it from audiobooksync. Often, I find non-fiction less well-written than fiction novels. Occasionally, I will be mesmerized by a narrative non-fiction, but I usually find them hard to concentrate on and keep the people straight. I read non-fiction better than listen to it. I was mesmerized by this book and have recommended it to many friends.

Anna Essinger believed she knew how to educate and help children, opening a school in Germany. After reading Mein Kampf, Ms. Essinger could see the dangers the ideology proposed where freedom of thought and expression would be stifled. She watched Germany slowly come under the leadership of Hitler, becoming angry when ordered to fly the Nazi flag. She arranged a field trip for her mostly Jewish pupils so that the flag flew over a mostly empty school. How do you move an entire school out of Germany? In 1938, after informing parents of her plans, she formed three groups of teachers who picked up students throughout Germany and then took three different routes out of Germany, taking Jewish children from a country and continent about to decimate the Jewish population. Shortly thereafter, Kindertransport brought Jewish children from Germany to England where Tante Anna accepted as many as she could. She also worked to move her Jewish family out of Germany before Hitler could lock the country down, as she suspected he would.

Life in Kent, England presented freedoms to the children. They repaired, built, and created a home at Bunce Court. Tante Anna believed children should not be oppressed, so they could study as they chose. She did expect students to be kind to one another. While establishing a new home, the children received letters from family members in Germany, not quite realizing what atrocities were truly going on. When the war began, the school's location near the coast meant that the government would requisition their buildings and gardens. Having only a few days, Tante Anna found a new location. Once again, the students and teachers would have to repair, rebuild, and create a home. The story oscillates between children in the school and children in Germany or Poland who were caught up in the war. Their survival stories show resilience, luck, and horror. The stories of what happened to their families and themselves brought tears to my eyes.

After WWII, some surviving children came to England and joined Anna's school. They had received no education in years and did not speak English. Here the children could heal. At the end of the book, you learn about the childrens' lives after Tante Anna closes the school. I am truly only giving a very broad overview of this nonfiction book. Tears flooded my eyes as I learned about the children when they became adults. Children always returned to Bunce Court, seeing it as a home. They visited Tante Anna after she retired, taking care of her. The bond they formed was unlike most school friends, as they lived together during a very difficult time in history. They helped heal the Jewish surviving children after the war and watched out for Tante Anna. Many were quite successful despite their schooling being delayed many years. I absolutely loved this story. We always hear about the brave men who fought in the war, but here is a story of a strong woman who saw what others didn't and took chances to save her pupils and her own family. Her courage, organizational skills, and outstanding leadership should be remembered and celebrated. Everyone should read this book--to remember and to remind us the importance of education and freedom of thought. ( )

FROM SYNC: Julie Teal carefully narrates the story of principal Anna Essinger, a woman of unflinching spirit who was determined to save the children in her school in Nazi Germany. With impeccable English that shifts effortlessly to flawless German, Teal creates a well-paced depiction of “Tante Anna,” whose prescient decision to move her school and students beyond Nazi reach—from Herrlingen, Germany, to Kent, England, in the early 1930s—proved to be a salvation for many. Letting each unsparing detail of Nazi cruelty land with listeners, Teal also weaves in accounts of other students across Europe, including Jewish boy Sam Oliner of Poland, who hid “in plain sight” until he finally made his way to England and to Essinger—the principal whose love of children never wavered. D.H.R. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2022]

in 1933, as Hitler came to power, schoolteacher Anna Essinger hatched a daring plan ; to smuggle her entire school out of Nazi Germany to England. The book is a dramatic human tale that offers a unique child's-eye perspective on Nazi persecution and the Holocaust. One woman's story of hope and her refusal to allow her beliefs to be overtaken by the evil that surrounded her. ( )