In this novel by John Wilson set during the Battle of Stalingrad, three participants -- two fighters and a boy -- are caught in its horrors. Their story is told over seven days of fierce and deadly street-by-street fighting. Vasily is a patriotic Russian soldier determined to rid his country of the hated Nazi invaders -- if he can stay alive long enough. Conrad is a German tank officer, part of the seemingly unstoppable force sweeping eastward over the steppe, expecting a quick victory over Stalin's ill-trained and badly equipped army. Between them is eight-year-old Sergei, whose home is the maze of rubble that used to be the city of Stalingrad. None of them can know that their fates will be intertwined as the cataclysm engulfs them.

 

There are 208 pages in this book. This book was published 2002 by Kids Can Press .

John Wilson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is the author of numerous books for young people. He has written other Stories of Canada titles, including Righting Wrongs and Discovering the Arctic , both of which were shortlisted for the Norma Fleck Award for children's non-fiction. He lives in Lantzville, British Columbia.