Perilous Days (Brave Hearts)

Meet Felix Culpa Schmidt, 16, in Germany in 1941. His grandmother has just died and his grandfather, who fought in WWI, is predicting hard times ahead. By Felix's side is Rolf, a German shepherd pup. Willy, 5, is disabled. The priest at Mass the following Sunday describes Adolf Hitler as evil and wanting to dispose of the elderly and disabled, calling them "useless eaters". Is Willy safe? Grandfather was right. Life is about to change.Indoctrination of all youth through the Hitler Youth Corps membership had been made mandatory in 1936. What happens when Felix is chosen to carry the banner? In 1943 Felix and Rolf find themselves at the canine corps training center in Frankfurt. Rolf is to be trained to find injured German soldiers. A month later they are off to the frozen plains of Russia.Whilst based on strong Catholic theology this is still an excellent historical fiction read. Due to the situations involved I would not recommend this for younger children but definitely for teenagers and above. It is unusual to read a book from this era that does not focus on the Holocaust. The book is well written and VERY believable. In fact at the end you can read some short biographies on some of the real characters.I downloaded this book onto my Kindle. I was not required to write a review but chose to do so. Thanks, Liz

I love the fact that this Catholic author who tackled a difficult subject of faith in war and what it means to be a hero. I also found it very interesting that she based many of her characters on real people. However the characters were very flat. Their was no depth or understanding of their motives. Even for a young adult's book the writing was disjointed and lacked flow. I wanted to really like this story because I am a mom of young men who need examples of good but flawed Catholic heros, but I would have a hard time recommending this book due to the writing style (or lack there of). Unfortunately, it makes the story of faith and real life miracles less compelling. Hoping the second book in the series is written better.

I bought this book for my 11-year-old grandson for Christmas, but decided to peruse it first. The next thing I knew, I was halfway through the book and deeply involved. I love it when I forget that I am reading. Suffice to say, I enjoyed it, I learned a lot and was inspired by this tale of great courage.

The main character comes to life in a classic set in Nazi Germany complete with a loyal dog, mysterious stranger, and danger at every turn. Fans of The Shadow of his Wings will enjoy seeing Father Goldmann come to life. Loved the surprise ending!

Listen for, hear, and act; Faith will bring you home. Obedience brings one through fear. Action turns fear to hope.

Wonderful book for middle school Catholic children!

A very well-written and interesting novel, incorporating real historical figures into the story. Nicely told from the point of view of a young German man, who is the main character of the book.

Perilous Days is a middle-grade novel set in World War II. This story is about a young Catholic teen named Felix, who happens to be growing up in Hitler’s Germany. His family sees the horrors that are unfolding around them but are unable to do much but try to survive. Things quickly change for Felix when he and his extremely smart German Shepherd, Rolf, are forced to join the German army. They are assigned to a special canine unit to search for injured soldiers. I have never heard about this unique group of soldiers and found it quite fascinating.Felix has been struggling with his faith and questioning how God could let bad things happen. But witnessing the unwavering faith of those around him, amid so much devastation, changes him forever. The author does a wonderful job of showcasing some real German Catholics who risked their lives to do what they could to expose the evil of their country and to save vulnerable citizens. This short book would make a fantastic supplement to lessons about World War II.