When day is done, I want to be able to say: “Well done, old friend,” to my horse, rub him clean, feed him sweet-smelling hay, golden oats, and fresh water. I don’t want a machine puffing black smoke into God’s clean air, crushing birds’ nests under its cold steel claws, roaring “Hurry-hurry-hurry” into my ears. I want to have time to look at the flowers by the fence, the blue sky above, to listen to the birds and the song of the wind. Little peaceful white houses in Serbia or Russia, homes of little peaceful people such as we are.’”Ī Favourite Beautiful Quote: “‘I want to walk slowly behind the plow I want to have time to feel the soft crumbling soil under my feet, to smell its rich, moist smell.

‘But they will shatter houses like ours somewhere, wherever they are going. “‘No, not our house, thank the Lord,’ sighed Father. They wouldn’t!’ exclaimed Jancsi, casting a threatening glance at the cannon. <33 Hands-down one of my top 10 favourite books.Ī Favourite Quote: “‘Cannon,’ said Father ‘They could throw a shell from here to the farm and shatter the house.’ I could ramble on but I’ll just say, it is amazing and beautiful and I ended up teary-eyed at the end. <33 It is brilliantly well-written, and is just so full of truth and beauty and wisdom. The stress it lays upon how horrible war is and how the enemy is really people just like us… The big Russians and the tiny German children… my heart.

all the character were so real and strong and noble. You don’t often see books from the German POV instead of the Allied one. I loved seeing how the war affected them. It was very funny at times, but mostly it tugged at my heart so much. It was just so beautiful and quaint and old-fashioned and happy and sunshiny.

I’m having difficulty writing this review.

The singing tree by kate seredy