Sandra Birdsell's Katya

Katya by Sandra Birdsell was a bit long in my opinion. In the first half of the book, there was not really much dialogue going on. If there was dialogue, it would only be one or two sentences before going back into the descriptions. In the second half of the book, there is clearly much more dialogue than the first half.

In the book, there was a word or two I knew from taking German. The word that was mentioned was "Oma." "Oma" is also used in Germany. It is another word for "großmutter." Both of these words mean "grandma/grandmother." The same can be said for "Opa" which is also used in Germany, the same word for "großvater," and means "grandpa/grandmother."

In the front of the book is the newspaper clipping. If someone was to only glimpse at it and not realize that the book is fiction, the reader may think that the clipping is true. It gives the who, what, where, when, and how. Unfortunately, such news in the newspapers were probably very common during those days.

On page 134, Franz Pauls says, "If there should be a war, then I, for one, will be among the first to volunteer. I'll willingly go wherever I'm sent and do what I'm given to do." This is similar to Joseph in Peace Shall Destroy Many by Rudy Wiebe. Franz says that he will serve if there is a war and Joseph is serving. Joseph is not on the front lines carrying a weapon, but serving in the Medical Reserves. Another similarity between Franz and Joseph is that both of them are in Mennonite communities. Bringing up the topic of serving in the military (no matter if you are only in the medical department or on the front lines) in such a community is basically a big "no-no." My reasoning for it being a no-no is because you are in a pacifist community. Even bringing up the military is asking for you to be shot. By pacifists! If you bring up that, then Mennonite pacifists will think that you are crazy.