'A beautifully haunting and thought-provoking story of friendship that lingers long after the last page' Ruta Sepetys, Author of Salt to the Sea
'A small wonder, and for once a book worthy of the hype' The Times
'A chilling, stylishly written and utterly memorable story' Guardian
'Savit's story is aimed at anyone who will listen. A 10-year-old may identify with Anna. A teenage reader will absorb the deftness and sophistication of the telling. An adult will find their expectations challenged' New York Times
Anna and the Swallow Man is a stunning debut novel for readers aged ten to one hundred and ten that tells a new story of World War Two. Kraków, 1939, is no place to grow up. There are a million marching soldiers and a thousand barking dogs. And Anna Lania is just seven years old when the Germans take her father and suddenly, she's alone.
Then she meets the Swallow Man. He is a mystery, strange and tall. And like Anna's missing father, he has a gift for languages: Polish, Russian, German, Yiddish, even Bird. When he summons a bright, beautiful swallow down to his hand to stop her from crying, Anna is entranced.
Over the course of their travels together, Anna and the Swallow Man will dodge bombs, tame soldiers, and even, despite their better judgement, make a friend. But in a world gone mad, everything can prove dangerous . . .
