Max

When you first meet Max it's 1936, in Bavaria, and he's still a baby inside his blonde, blue-eyed mother. Utterly indoctrinated in the Nazi ideology, Max will address you and tell you his story until 1945—his destiny as an exceptional being, the prototype of the 'Lebensborn' (Fountains of Life) program, designed to produce perfect specimens of the Aryan race to regenerate the Reich. But when Max meets Lukas, a young Polish boy who resembles him but who rebels against the Nazi system, cracks starts to appear in Max's convictions…

Max is compulsive reading. Against all your instincts to despise what Max tells you, about his childish cruelty, his attempts to eliminate any aspect of weakness in order to become a tough Hitler youth, you will find yourself somehow understanding him, becoming attached to this orphan who personifies the evil that people are capable of inflicting on children in times of war.

Max is a fascinating, confronting historical fable. A little-known aspect of the World War II is brought to life through two striking characters whose paths cross tragically. In the words of Sarah Cohen-Scali to her readers: 'I hope that, as I did, you will be able to feel indulgent towards Max's flaws, and that you will love him, defend him, and adopt this orphan of evil...'

Review by Emily Meredith

Max is a fascinating fictionalisation of a very real piece of World War II history.

The title character is the first child born in the Lebensborn program, a terrifying Nazi eugenics initiative to create perfect Aryan children. We are first introduced to Max before he is born, and he is already determined to be a perfect Nazi, with plans to be born on Hitler's birthday.

Although it was a little strange to have the story narrated by a newborn, the content was so interesting that I didn't really notice the oddity while I was immersed in the story. We follow Max from his birth until the end of the war, when he is almost seven.

Provocative and confronting, Max raised a plethora of important questions about human morality. It also highlighted the evils done to German women and children, as well as the Jewish and Polish populations, during WWII.

About the Author

Sarah Cohen-Scali is an award-winning French writer. She is the author of over 20 books including books for young adults, children and crime novels for adults. Her young adult novel Max, first published in France, has won several awards including the prestigious Prix Sorcieres 2013.