Waiting for Anya

'Waiting for Anya' is a children's fiction novel by Michael Morpurgo. It was first published in Great Britain by William Heinemann publishers in 1990. The book was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. It is set in Lescun, in the suburbs of France.

Characters

Jo - The main character. He is a small shepherd boy.Benjamin - A Jew. He is smuggling other Jews across the border to Spain. He lost his daughter anya. Widow Horcada - A secretive old widow. She is Benjamin's mother in law.Grandpere- Jo's granfather; involved in the smuggling of children.Hubert - A kind handicapped boy who is very good friends with Jo

Summary

The novel in set in the French town of Lescun during the Second World War. Jo, a young shepherd, is enjoying his childhood, but then his father goes to fight in the war so Jo must become the man of the house. After an incident with a bear, Jo meets a man in the forest. He follows the man (Benjamin) to his home and learns his secret - he is smuggling Jewish children across the border into Spain with the help of his mother-in-law (Widow Horcada). Jo starts helping them.

When German soldiers move into town, things becomes much more difficult. Although most of the town's inhabitants come to accept the German occupation, the task of getting the Jewish children across the border becomes more dangerous. Jo, his grandfather, Benjamin and Widow Horcada devise a plan to get the children across. The plan requires that the whole town help the children escape, and relies on the German soldiers not noticing what is happening.

The title refers to the fact that Benjamin is waiting for his daughter Anya to arrive in Lescun.