The Sandgame

AGE: 10-15

This autobiographical story tells the fascinating story of a Jewish boy who lived through the Holocaust and became a writer. But it is not a horror story portraying a traumatic childhood, in spite of the terrible things the child is forced to see. Instead, Orlev describes a relatively normal childhood, with moments of sadness and pain, but also times of joy, adventure and humor. "I saw myself all the time as the hero of a thrilling adventure story; the more people disappeared around me, the more convinced I was that nothing bad could happen to me, and that it would all turn out well." This is the first line of Orlev`s book, in which the author shows his son the "sandgame" – an allegory in which only a tiny pile of sand remains in the palm of his hand. He and his brother were among the few that remained.