This review includes spoilers

Henni discovers a mystery in her holiday home. From a box of German books, German board games and other ephemeral material, she discovers that a German boy called Leopold Schmidt lived there with his family during the First World War. For reasons that are unclear he and his family left and never returned. Henni decides to leave a note with the books just in case a relative of Leopold finds it and can tell her what happened. Imagine her surprise when one day when she is back at home in Melbourne a postcard arrives from Leopold Schmidt in Berlin.

However, this Leopold Schmidt is no relative and has no connection to his namesake who once lived in community of Cauldron Bay, except that while his uncle was making a film about surfers in the area he discovered the note from Henni. From this postcard a friendship develops through email communication. Both Henni and Leo share their interests and concerns, discuss their families, particularly their younger sisters and help each other. The mutual interest to begin with is the original Leopold and Henni tries to discover his story and to unravel the mystery of what happened to Leo and his family. She is bemused by those inhabitants of Cauldron Bay who do not want her to investigate the circumstances of the Schmidts’ disappearance from the area and who exhibit symptoms of anger and shame when questioned. Through her research she finds out about the treatment of German immigrants in Australia during the First World War. While Henni is pursuing her investigation, Leo in Berlin faces his own problems with immigration when his friend Felix has to go into hiding because he and his mother are to be deported. Leo helps him by finding him places to stay. As the situation worsens he turns to Henni for advice and realises that she is right and that he must inform his parents. They too become involved in making sure that Felix and his mother remain in Germany. Meanwhile Henni gets closer and closer to solving the tragedy of the disappearance of the original Leo and his family and the final denouement cleverly connects the prejudice of the twentieth century with that of the twenty first.

 The immediacy of the plot is enhanced by use of email as the means of communication between the two characters. As part of the plot, the reader sees Henni develop her research skills both online and in her use of oral history and local resources. It is a well crafted book which has a real feel of danger and the use of email makes the tension really crackle at the end. Much is made of prejudice and ignorance causing cruelty and misunderstanding. Both Leo and Henni show compassion and a willingness to accept those who are different. Both develop throughout the book and the writers deal with difficult issues in an understanding and non judgemental way.

2008-09-13