Nesthkchen and the World War

A recent survey of German women revealed that 55% had read Else Ury's <I>Nesth��kchen</I> books. Even more had heard them read over the radio or had seen the television serialization.</p><p>Germans call a spoiled child or family pet a Nesth��kchen. Else Ury's Nesth��kchen is a Berlin doctor's daughter Annemarie Braun a slim golden blond quintessential German girl. The ten book series follows Annemarie from infancy (<I>Nesth��kchen and Her Dolls</I>) to old age and grandchildren (<I>Nesth��kchen with White Hair</I>).</p> <p><I>Nesth��kchen and the World War</I> the fourth volume in the series is the tale of a pre-adolescent girl growing up in Berlin at the outbreak of World War I. It presents a charming skillful evocation of a long-vanished world while Steven Lehrer's annotations put the story in historical context.</p><p><I>Nesth��kchen and the World War</I> conveys a timeless lesson for children as well as adults about the nature of war. Wars often begin with an outpouring of patriotic sentiment. World War I started this way and Else Ury's description of German war-euphoria in 1914 is chilling. But when the narrative ends in mid 1916 the war could no longer be mistaken for a noble patriotic adventure.</P>