While the Music Played by Nathaniel Lande

Max had a lot of friends.  They were Jewish but he didn't care.  They lived a good life and shared love between them.  No one ever imagined the evil of Hitler would get to them...

Blackstone Publishing sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

Max and his father, Poppy, were an inseparable duo.  They both loved music.  Poppy was a conductor and could play instruments, too.  Max began as a piano turner but moved into a hurdy gurdy player as he matured.  He was in love with Sophie who was his age.  He was best friends with David and Hans.  He thought his life would always be that way.

First his father was drafted into the German army.  He didn't get to see him regularly anymore.  Then people started going missing.  When there was talk of a nice town being set aside for all the Jews, they all took their most cherished belongs and got on the train to go there.  Max was placed with a couple outside the fenced area for the jews because he was German.  When he finally got to visit his friends, he saw the town was not at all nice.  He smuggled some things in and asked his father to send some, too.  Then they began gassing people.  Even the children.

Max sees his father killed.  He and David make their escape and tell Sophie and Hans they will be back for them...

This is a heartrending book to read.  The more you learn, the more sad it is.  This is based on history and it's a good demonstration of why war is so bad...