THE BOY AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN By John Boyne
Pierrot and his father ◦ Pierrot Fischer lived in an apartment with his German father, Wilhelm, a survivor and soldier
of World War I, and his French mother, Émilie. Their family was together until Piorrot’s father left in 1933, a few months after Pierrot’s fourth birthday. ◦ When Pierrot was very young, his father taught him to speak German and would often carry
him on his shoulders while pretending to be a horse. His father was very musical, often entertaining people with folk songs. Pierrot was also able to speak French, which he learned
from his mother. Pierrot’s father suffered from terrible nightmares which caused him to wake up screaming in the night. He drank a great deal to help him forget what he had experienced during the First World War.
Pierrot’s mother ◦ Pierrot’s mama works for the Abrahams as a waitress and for the next three years their life is simple and happy. ◦ In 1936, Pierrot’s mother coughs up blood into a handkerchief on her birthday and, days
later, a coughing spell brings up more blood. Émilie is taken to Hotel-Dieu de Paris hospital where she dies shorty after.
Pierrot’s best friend ◦ Pierrot has long befriended a jewish boy, Anshel Bronstein, who lived on the ground floor apartment of their building, and had grown up practically as brothers.
◦ The two boys had been born only weeks apart. ◦ Anshel was born deaf and he loves writing. The boys had developed a sign language early on, communicating easily. ◦ Sadly, with Pierrot’s mother gone, Mrs Bronstein can’t feed another mouth.
Going to Germany ◦ Seven-year-old Pierrot is welcomed into the orphanage by two kind sisters who tell him his stay will probably not be long. Eventually Pierrot leaves the orphanage and travels to
Germany, having been taken in by his father’s sister, his aunt Beatrix. ◦ It turns out that Beatrix is the housekeeper for Adolf Hitler’ retreat house, Berghof. She has been in her position for a little over two years.
◦ Pierrot, (renamed Pieter by his aunt for his own security), doesn’t know who the master and mistress of the house are until Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun arrive.
The end of the story â—Ś Pieter develops a close relationship whith Adolf Hitler who leads the young boy into the Nazi world. With time, he becomes a spectator to Hitler's inner world and discovers the
true nature of Beatrix and Ernst's activities. â—Ś Pieter shows his loyalty to Hitler, telling him that his driver and aunt are trying to poison him, so Hitler makes Ernst drink the poison and later the aunt dies. WWII ends and
Pieter is taken by Allied Forces and is later released. Now Pierrot (again!) travels a little in Europe and returns to Paris where he meets his friend, Anshel Bronstein.
My opinion... This book makes me think of so many things! The importance of family, friends, loyalty to those who love us. The hope of a better world,
without war, without fears, without destruction. How lucky we are to live in a time when discrimination is decreasing (although there is still a lot), at a time when we can walk on the
street alone without running the risk of being led by elements of the army just because we are not equal to them, or because we think differently from the head of state.
The ability to see evil and break down whether we are being manipulated or not. We can think for ourselves, we can read what we want, we can say what we want and what we think. Such basic stuff, yet so important‌
THANK YOU! Maria Penacho