Waiting for Anya is a children's fiction novel by Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo, OBE FKC AKC is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate.-Early life:...

. It was first published in Great Britain by William Heinemann

William Heinemann

William Heinemann was the founder of the Heinemann publishing house in London.He was born in 1863, in Surbiton, Surrey. In his early life he wanted to be a musician, either as a performer or a composer, but, realising that he lacked the ability to be successful in that field, he took a job with...

 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. The title refers to the fact that Benjamin is waiting for his daughter Anya to arrive in Lescun.
• Widow Horcada - A secretive old widow. She is Benjamin's mother in law. She is quite grumpy.
• Grandpere- Jo's grandfather; involved in the smuggling of children.
• Hubert - A kind handicapped boy who is very good friends with Jo.
• Papa - Jo's father, a POW (Prisoner of War) who is in a German prison most of the story and helps Jo smuggle the children to Spain.

Summary

In the French Lescun during the Second World War, Jo is a young shepherd who is enjoying his childhood, but when his father goes to fight in the war, Jo must become the man of the house. After an incident with a bear, Jo meets a mysterious man in the forest. He follows the man to his home and learns his secret - he is a Jew named Benjamin that is responsible for smuggling Jewish children across the border into Spain, and safety, with the help of his mother-in-law (Widow Horcada). Jo starts helping them, and proving that he is one person who can be trusted.

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 the whole town help the children escape, and relies on the German soldiers not noticing what is happening.
But if they are caught, their lives will not be worth living...