The Other Half of Life

The Other Half of Life is a wonderful book based upon the MS St. Louis; also know as the voyage of the damned. The story is told from Thomas's eyes at the very start of World War II. It starts with the breaking up of his family as Thomas is being sent to the safety of Cuba. Thomas is filled with resentment at what he sees as weakness in his parents and the eventual attempt for him to flee the Nazi threat. On the ship, Thomas... Read Full Review

Though written in the third person, this fascinating historical novel has the power of a memoir and can partner well in the classroom with "the Diary of Anne Frank". Boys particularly will be drawn to the story and what it portends. Based on the true account of the MS St. Louis, the reader is immediately immersed in a very real but bizarre world that ultimately betrays the trusting travelers seeking a new home. The protagonist,... Read Full Review

It's 1939, and things have steadily grown worse for the Jews of Germany. Fifteen-year-old Thomas Werkmann has witnessed firsthand just how cruel the Nazis can be, and his mother has scraped together the money to send him to Cuba on the tourist boat, the MS Francis, along with over 900 other Jews hoping to escape persecution. Upon their leaving in Hamburg, Thomas is unwillingly befriended by the two daughters of a German literature... Read Full Review

In May 1939, fifteen-year-old Thomas along with over 900 Jews began their voyage from Nazi Germany to Cuba. Thomas must go on this voyage alone because his family can only afford one ticket. His father is imprisoned in Dachau, while his mother will be safe because she is Christian. In Cuba, Thomas will meet up with his half-brother. On the SS St. Francis, Thomas meets Priska, a fourteen-year-old girl who is traveling with... Read Full Review

THE OTHER HALF OF LIFE KIM ABLON WHITNEY Historical YA Knopf ISBN# 978-0-375-85219-0 234 Pages $[...] Hardcover--Available May 12, 2009 Rating: 4.5 Enchantments THE OTHER HALF OF LIFE is based on the true story of a World War II voyage. Its May 1939 and the SS St. Francis is setting sail for Cuba and eventually the U.S. filled with Jewish refugees desperate for a new life in a new land. However, none of them could be prepared... Read Full Review