My first read of 2013.
1) Hitler's Canary by Sandi Toksvig
This was a short but thorough read. It was inspired by the true stories told to Ms Toksvig by her father and tells the story of Bamse, his family and his friends during the German occupation of Denmark.
Over the course of 10 days, the majority of Denmark's Jews and a number of 'fugitives' were helped in escaping the clutches of the German forces who were due to send them off to the camps. The bravery of ordinary Danes, the Danish resistance, and it must be said a number of Germans who looked the other way or activiely removed themselves from carrying out their assigned duties, ensured that less than 2 per cent of the Danish Jews perished at the hands of the occupying force.
It is fast paced and spans a handful of years. Ms Toksvig brings depth and clarity to the story of Bamse and the point of view remains with Bamse throughout. It was a good first read of the year and a quick short read. It is always good to be reminded that a mass of people can do much good when they quietly commit themselves to doing the right thing.