Waiting On Wednesday #19 Anna and the Swallow Man

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This week I’m waiting on Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit. After reading the first chapter, I wanted more. There are so many books out there that highlight this time in the world’s history that I have yet to read, but I really want to add this one to my World War II historical books. Don’t forget to share with me what books you’re waiting on so I can check them out. Happy Wednesday!

Title: Anna and the Swallow Man

Author: Gavriel Savit

Publisher: Knopf BYR

Pub Date: January 26th 2016

A stunning, literary, and wholly original debut novel set in Poland during the Second World War perfect for readers of The Book Thief.

Kraków, 1939. A million marching soldiers and a thousand barking dogs. This is no place to grow up. Anna Łania is just seven years old when the Germans take her father, a linguistics professor, during their purge of intellectuals in Poland. She’s alone.

And then Anna meets the Swallow Man. He is a mystery, strange and tall, a skilled deceiver with more than a little magic up his sleeve. And when the soldiers in the streets look at him, they see what he wants them to see.

The Swallow Man is not Anna’s father—she knows that very well—but she also knows that, like her father, he’s in danger of being taken, and like her 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. She follows him into the wilderness.

Over the course of their travels together, Anna and the Swallow Man will dodge bombs, tame soldiers, and even, despite their better judgment, make a friend. But in a world gone mad, everything can prove dangerous. Even the Swallow Man.

Destined to become a classic, Gavriel Savit’s stunning debut reveals life’s hardest lessons while celebrating its miraculous possibilities.