The War Below [Hardcover]

The Nazis took Luka from his home in Ukraine and forced him into a labor camp. Now, Luka has smuggled himself out -- even though he left behind his dearest friend, Lida. Someday, he vows, he'll find her again.

But first, he must survive.

Racing through the woods and mountains, Luka evades capture by both Nazis and Soviet agents. Though he finds some allies, he never knows who to trust. As Luka makes difficult choices in order to survive, desperate rescues and guerilla raids put him in the line of fire. Can he persevere long enough to find Lida again or make it back home where his father must be waiting for him?

Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, author ofMaking Bombs for Hitler, delivers another action-packed story, inspired by true events, of daring quests and the crucial decisions we make in the face of war.

This companion novel to Skrypuch'sMaking Bombs for Hitlerfollows a boy who joins the underground Ukrainian resistance in the fight against Hitler.

Praise forThe War Below:

Skrypuch offers a compelling, visceral novel of survival that provides an unusual view of the war... The suspenseful story carries the reader along to its satisfying conclusion. --Booklist

This story, full of numerous acts of compassion and valor, sheds welcome light on a less familiar battleground of World War II. --Publishers Weekly

A riveting read. --YA Books Central

Praise forMaking Bombs for Hitler:

A gripping story that asks: What would you do to survive? -- Alan Gratz, author ofPrisoner B-3087
Inspired by real, historical accounts, this is a powerful, harrowing story of transformation. --Booklist
Skrypuch draws on real-life stories of survivors in telling Lida's poignant tale, and she creates a cast of young people who are devoted to one another in both thought and deed. . . . A well-told story of persistence, lost innocenlC&