Description
'A magnificent small book to read urgently' Liberation
Once upon a time in an enormous forest there lived a poor woodcutter and his wife. Around them a war wages, and hunger is a constant companion. Yet every night, the woodcutter's wife prays for a child.
On a train crossing the forest, a Jewish father holds his twin children. His wife no longer has enough milk to feed them. In hopes of saving both their lives, he wraps his daughter in a shawl and gently throws her from the train.
While foraging for food, the woodcutter's wife finds a bundle, a baby girl wrapped in a shawl. She knows that this little girl will be pursued, but she cannot ignore this gift: she will accept the precious cargo, and raise her as her own. . .
Set against the horrors of the Holocaust and told with a fairytale-like lyricism, The Most Precious of Cargoes, translated from French by Frank Wynne, is a deeply moving fable about family and redemption, a story that reminds us that humanity can be found in the most inhumane of places.
For readers of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Book Thief, Jean-Claude Grumberg's haunting fable, an enormous bestseller in his native France, tells a story of the Holocaust and the remarkable acts of kindness of which people are capable.
About the Author
Jean-Claude Grumberg has been a renowned and successful playwright and scriptwriter for over forty years. He is the author of eight plays and stories for children, and has also worked as a director.
Book Information
ISBN 9781529019582
Author Jean-Claude Grumberg
Format Paperback
Page Count 112
Imprint Picador
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 130g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 130mm * 9mm
