Timothy - I am David

I am David by Anne Holm

- book review by Timothy Jorgensen

The book I chose to do my review on is I am David. The author of I am David is Anne Holm. The genre is fiction/historical novel. I am David is a lot better than it looks.

This is what I am David is about. David escapes from a concentration camp at the end of World War 2.  David travels through a few countries, meeting new people and making new friends and “enemies.”  One of his friends was a dog. His aim was to get to Denmark, where his mother lived.  

What I liked about I am David is how he thinks. An example is: (page 61) “God of green pastures and still waters,” he said softly, “I’m David. And I’m frightened . . . not just ordinary fear that you always have-worse than that. I want to beg a lift so that I can get quickly to another country, but I daren’t. If you’re strong enough to do something about what people think and feel right inside themselves, then will you please take this fear away, just long enough for me to wave to a lorry? And if it isn’t greedy to ask for two things at once, will you let it be a good man that comes in the next one? I haven’t yet found anything I can do for you. I am David. Amen.”

What I don’t like about I am David is the sudden ending. I don’t like sudden endings because it seems that there is more of the book to read but there isn’t. Reading a book with a sudden ending is like reading the second last book of a series but you can’t find the last one to read it.

I think the author was trying to tell us that a belief in God is good, and it will eventually led you to where you want to go. David’s belief in God led him to where he wanted to go, which was to someone that loved him. An example is: (page 153) then David said in French, “Madame, I’m David. I’m…” he could say no more. The woman looked into his face and said clearly and distinctly, “David… my son David…” (That’s what I mean by a sudden ending).

I would recommend this book for people that like exciting books without much violence. I would also recommend this book because it is a good example of good writing. It also shows us how believing in God can get us to where we want to go.