Fourteen-year-old Patrik rebels against the communist regime in small ways whenever he gets the chance: spray-painting slogans, listening to contraband Beatles records, even urinating on a statue of Lenin under cover of night. But anti-Party sentiment is risky, and when party interference cuts a little too close to home, Patrik and his family find themselves faced with a decision — and a grave secret — that will change everything. As the moments tick toward too late, Patrik takes his family’s fate in hand, risking everything for a chance at freedom. Examining the psychological toll of living under an authoritarian regime, Carolyn Marsden allows readers to experience both Patrik’s persistent worry and his hope for better things.
- ISBN: 9780763653958
- Author: Marsden, Carolyn
- Published: 2012 , Candlewick Press
- Themes: Communist, freedom, Friendship, Hope, Mystery
- Descriptors: Czech Republic, Europe, Historical Fiction, Intermediate (ages 9-14)
- No. of pages: 174