A Bag of Marbles

by Joseph Joffo

Book Overview

When Joseph Joffo was ten years old, his father gave him and his brother fifty francs and instructions to flee Nazi-occupied Paris and, somehow, get to the south where France was free. Previously out of print, this book is a captivating and memorable story; readers will instinctively find themselves rooting for these children caught in the whirlwind of World War II.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395193923
• ISBN13: 9780395193921
• Release Date: January 1974
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Touchant

Histoire touchante de Joseph Joffo, enfant parisien Juif, qui avec son frere doit quitter ses parents pour rejoindre la France libre. C'est une histoire prenante, tres bien ecrite, qui raconte comment les deux freres essaient de se debrouiller pour echapper aux Allemands. Le ton est juste, touchant, plein de spontaneite et d'innocence d'enfant, ce qui fait tout son charme. Recommande.

The author succeeds at leaving a moving testimonial...

Kudos to the translator for keeping the author's words & spirit in tact in this heroic and moving testimonial about what it took to survive the Holocaust & what we all must do to keep other holocausts from happening again. In his own words, "be brave, know how to take care of yourself, don't rely on others, don't let your emotions get the better of you, take responsibility." Clearly, this title is a story that will encourage & remind young readers to always remember and to take responsibility.

A-level "un Sac de Billes" Joseph Joffo

As a set text it did not seem to be the most interesting of choices. However the the autobiographical style of "Jo's" life is both imaginative and capturing. Although slow in parts, the tension of the second world war keeps you gripped throughout. The quite alarming experiences forced upon the boys makes the journey you share with the author, one of the most touching stories of childhood striuggles in french literature. Certainly not what I expected.

Riviting, capturing, A Real Page Turner

this book made me want to read more. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. You are really rooting for the boys to come out of this entire oredeal alright.+

The book was GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved the book,it is about 2 boys and one of them, Joseph Joffo tells their story about their events during the WWII. It is a very good book who faces the reality. It's a story of hope but in the same time very sad. Their family is seperated but at the end of the book, when the ware is finished ,they return each of them in Paris where their home is and they ,after three years seperaded, became ones and for all a family inseperable.