Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

I’m fast becoming a real big fan of Lois Lowry. Actually, without realising, I was already a big fan of hers from way back. Upon seeing a list of books she has written I found one of my favourite, from when I was about twelve, called Anastasia at Your Service.

Lowry’s books are so seamlessly written; they are smooth and take you through the story that she’s telling at a gentle, compelling pace.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Number the Stars is a deceptively simple story. Annemarie is a typical ten-year-old when she and her family make the decision to help their dear friends the Rosen family escape Nazi occupied Denmark and cross the sea to neutral Sweden. Because, as her mother says a number of times throughout the book, ‘That is what friends do.’

In its simplicity this story opened up a whole new chapter for me on Denmark, on the amazing bravery and compassion of people during war and the complicated relationships that countries have with each other.

Lowry has included so many gems in this book that make it a fascinating read. I learned so much about the Danish people’s attitude to Nazi Germany, the Danish resistance and their ingenious way of getting their fellow citizens out of Denmark as well as Sweden’s complex stance of neutrality.

Out of a population of 8000 Danish Jews more than 7000 were smuggled to safety. That’s extraordinary. Annemarie says at one point in the story that all of the Danish people became their Jewish neighbour’s bodyguards. They closed ranks and saved their friend’s lives.

I love the title. One of the most recognised symbols for the Jewish people is the Star of David. Lowry quotes Psalm 147:4 “He (God) determines the number of stars and calls them each by name.”

This is a beautiful book of friendship and what it means to be brave.