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Revolution Baby
Julek has assumed countless different identities, lived with numerous families, and worked as a secret agent for the Resistance. He was raised in an orphanage (despite having two mothers) and he knows how to speak the language of dogs. All this at the tender age of fourteen!
Julek s’ story begins in Warsaw on the eve of the Second World War and ends in Paris after the liberation of the city. We witness the darkest hours of the past century and the effects of war through the eyes of an extraordinary boy who never loses his sense of wonder. Julek’s adventure becomes an incredible lesson in survival.
Equal parts Life Is Beautiful, Diary of Anne Frank, and The Book Thief, Joanna Gruda’s English language debut is a thoroughly original novel that will delight adult and young adult readers alike.
Julek s’ story begins in Warsaw on the eve of the Second World War and ends in Paris after the liberation of the city. We witness the darkest hours of the past century and the effects of war through the eyes of an extraordinary boy who never loses his sense of wonder. Julek’s adventure becomes an incredible lesson in survival.
Equal parts Life Is Beautiful, Diary of Anne Frank, and The Book Thief, Joanna Gruda’s English language debut is a thoroughly original novel that will delight adult and young adult readers alike.
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2013
4 people are currently reading
415 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Gruda
6 books1 followerPolish-born, Joanna Gruda arrived in Trois-Rivieres, Canada, by boat at the age of two. She worked in the theatre for many years , and she is a translator and an editor. "Revolution Baby", based on the true story of her father, is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
April 14, 2017
No todas las historias de la segunda guerra mundial tratan sobre el holocausto. La vida de Julek peligrará desde antes incluso de llegar al mundo ya que sus padres, miembros activos del Partido Comunista de Polonia, no pensaban en tener un bebé en ese momento. La primera batalla ganada de Julek será en una reunión de una célula del Partido cuando, por medio de votación, se le concede el derecho a nacer. A partir de aquí el pequeño pasará sus primeros años de familia en familia, de Polonia a Francia, pasando incluso por un orfanato. Irá creciendo a la vez que se desarrolla la guerra y nos ofrecerá un visión de la misma como sólo podría contarlo un niño.
Me ha gustado muchísimo esta historia que, aunque pueda parecer simple a primera vista, esconde mucho más. La voz de Julek, cargada de inocencia y ternura pero marcada por su espíritu rebelde, a veces me recordaba a la de Frank McCourt en Las cenizas de Angela (algo que no deja de ser un halago).
Me ha gustado muchísimo esta historia que, aunque pueda parecer simple a primera vista, esconde mucho más. La voz de Julek, cargada de inocencia y ternura pero marcada por su espíritu rebelde, a veces me recordaba a la de Frank McCourt en Las cenizas de Angela (algo que no deja de ser un halago).
December 2, 2016
La Segunda Guerra Mundial y los años del comunismo soviético han sido y siguen siendo dos aspectos del siglo XX que a día de hoy conforman todavía una fuente inagotable de obras literarias. Las hay que se centran en el conflicto, otros en el régimen de la URSS..., y después existe otra clase de novelas que se centran en las personas, pequeñas historias que agrupadas en millones conformaron la verdadera historia de aquellos terribles años.
En El niño que sabía hablar el idioma de los perros se nos presenta una de esas historias a través de una voz inocente: ella nos narra el horror de vivir en la pobreza, en el comunismo, en la constante vigilancia y la total ausencia de libertad. Con un tono casi alegre se nos muestran escenas y situaciones terribles, un contraste que da más fuerza a la narrativa de la novela, que sin duda es también un canto a la belleza del mundo, un mundo que sigue empeñado en ser bonito por mucho que nos empeñemos en darle por culo.
En El niño que sabía hablar el idioma de los perros se nos presenta una de esas historias a través de una voz inocente: ella nos narra el horror de vivir en la pobreza, en el comunismo, en la constante vigilancia y la total ausencia de libertad. Con un tono casi alegre se nos muestran escenas y situaciones terribles, un contraste que da más fuerza a la narrativa de la novela, que sin duda es también un canto a la belleza del mundo, un mundo que sigue empeñado en ser bonito por mucho que nos empeñemos en darle por culo.
May 27, 2016
The translation editor's choice to change the title of the book from "The child who could speak the language of animals" to "Revolution Baby" was cheap and sensationalist. I almost didn't pick up this book because of it, but I'm glad I did.
"Revolution Baby" is a rather refreshing and admirable effort of a WWII novel because:
a) It is characterised by a plausible, realistic sense of wonder.
b) Although the narrator is a young boy who naturally doesn't know as much about the world as the reader, it manages to never be patronising. This is probably the novel's best quality as we are both able to see through the eyes of a child but we are never tempted to believe we'd know better, or frown upon on his childish ways. Of course, this works the other way round too: although most of us luckily don't share his experiences, we are never bombarded with information or detailed explanations hinting at our lack of understanding. The narrator's voice is strong and confident.
c) It focusses on people rather than numbers, technology or battles.
d) It makes an important point that many seem to forget: Each person's war was different than the next one's. And that goes for everything else in life, BTW.
"Olga taught me how to lie (something that would prove useful on numerous occasions during the war): never anticipate people, or start spouting everything you've learned by heart unless it's an answer to a question. You had to have all your answers ready, but only get them out when it was necessary."
"Revolution Baby" is a rather refreshing and admirable effort of a WWII novel because:
a) It is characterised by a plausible, realistic sense of wonder.
b) Although the narrator is a young boy who naturally doesn't know as much about the world as the reader, it manages to never be patronising. This is probably the novel's best quality as we are both able to see through the eyes of a child but we are never tempted to believe we'd know better, or frown upon on his childish ways. Of course, this works the other way round too: although most of us luckily don't share his experiences, we are never bombarded with information or detailed explanations hinting at our lack of understanding. The narrator's voice is strong and confident.
c) It focusses on people rather than numbers, technology or battles.
d) It makes an important point that many seem to forget: Each person's war was different than the next one's. And that goes for everything else in life, BTW.
"Olga taught me how to lie (something that would prove useful on numerous occasions during the war): never anticipate people, or start spouting everything you've learned by heart unless it's an answer to a question. You had to have all your answers ready, but only get them out when it was necessary."
May 4, 2018
Loved the simplicity of this book, told effectively by a daughter through the eyes of the father when a child. Julek's mother does not come across sympathetically, but it must have taken considerable effort to keep her son healthy, educated and well-cared for during the war years in Poland and France. His resilience is remarkable.
August 24, 2017
Pour tout enfant, le monde est étrange, illogique, incompréhensible. Lorsqu'on est un jeune juif polonais pendant la guerre, il l'est d'autant plus. Joanna Gruda nous fait vivre cette expérience (celle de son père) du point de vue de l'enfant qu'il était. Touchant.
June 18, 2016
It reads like a boy's adventure story but covers an interesting time. It's an easy, entertaining read.
June 9, 2025
3.5 stars
This is an interesting story about a Polish boy's experience being born into a Communist family right before the beginning of WWII. Due to safety concerns, Julek is constantly shuffled between different families, schools, and cities. His name is changed, he is lied to about who his parents are, and he is thrust into communities where he doesn't speak the language. The story, based on the life of the author's father, is told in simple language as he reflects back on his life. It's difficult to tell if the writing style is due to the translation from French to English, or if the novel does have a more elementary feel.
As the book went on, I started losing track of the different families and characters that our protagonist lives with throughout his childhood. A family tree, or character list, would be beneficial. Additionally, we don't get much information on how Julek's childhood really impacted the remainder of his life. Nonetheless, this book shares a WWII perspective that we don't often hear about, and reading about what parents had to do to keep their kids safe during this time was quite touching. I would recommend this if you enjoy the book ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doer.
This is an interesting story about a Polish boy's experience being born into a Communist family right before the beginning of WWII. Due to safety concerns, Julek is constantly shuffled between different families, schools, and cities. His name is changed, he is lied to about who his parents are, and he is thrust into communities where he doesn't speak the language. The story, based on the life of the author's father, is told in simple language as he reflects back on his life. It's difficult to tell if the writing style is due to the translation from French to English, or if the novel does have a more elementary feel.
As the book went on, I started losing track of the different families and characters that our protagonist lives with throughout his childhood. A family tree, or character list, would be beneficial. Additionally, we don't get much information on how Julek's childhood really impacted the remainder of his life. Nonetheless, this book shares a WWII perspective that we don't often hear about, and reading about what parents had to do to keep their kids safe during this time was quite touching. I would recommend this if you enjoy the book ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doer.
September 25, 2019
Zowel de titel als achterflap zette me op het verkeerde been. De jongen kan niet met honden praten (natuurlijk niet), maar hij wordt ook geen vrienden met een hond. Dit verhaal gaat over een jongen die vervreemd raakt van zijn ouders en familie en hoe hij daar zijn leven lang mee om gaat.
Julian is Joods en zijn ouders zijn communisten. Aan de vooravond van de tweede wereldoorlog achten zij zijn verblijf in Parijs, in een tehuis, veiliger terwijl zij zich inzetten voor het communisme. Hij leert daar te leven (in het begin is het meer overleven), zonder zijn familie/moeder en tussen de leeftijdsgenoten. En dat in een vreemde wereld waar ze zijn taal niet spreken. Uiteindelijk raakt hij vervreemd van zijn achtergrond en moet hij opnieuw zijn plek terug vinden na de oorlog als hij weer wordt teruggehaald. Meer dan dat is me niet bijgebleven, niet een heel spannend of interessant boek.
Julian is Joods en zijn ouders zijn communisten. Aan de vooravond van de tweede wereldoorlog achten zij zijn verblijf in Parijs, in een tehuis, veiliger terwijl zij zich inzetten voor het communisme. Hij leert daar te leven (in het begin is het meer overleven), zonder zijn familie/moeder en tussen de leeftijdsgenoten. En dat in een vreemde wereld waar ze zijn taal niet spreken. Uiteindelijk raakt hij vervreemd van zijn achtergrond en moet hij opnieuw zijn plek terug vinden na de oorlog als hij weer wordt teruggehaald. Meer dan dat is me niet bijgebleven, niet een heel spannend of interessant boek.
September 5, 2018
3.5 / 5 J’ai vraiment aimé ce roman, inspiré de la jeunesse du père de l’autrice. Ne en Pologne de parents engagés dans les grandes luttes politiques des années 20 et 30 en Europe, le héros de ce livre se promène de milieu en milieu, de famille en famille, et trouve la façon de vivra sa jeunesse sous les bombes de la seconde guerre mondiale. Intelligent, débrouillard et astucieux, notre jeune héros épate par sa résilience et sa vivacité. À mettre dans les mains d’amateurs de témoignages sur fond historique, et même dans les mains des grands ados.
August 25, 2020
Despite being set in the Second World War this is quite a gentle story. It is written in a simplistic style, through the eyes of a child, and, although I enjoyed it, it’s probably better suited to young adults/older children, or those without much knowledge of politics (and specifically the communist party) in Europe before and during the war. I think that then it would give an important, different angle to life at that time.
August 30, 2017
Si bien literariamente no es brillante, la historia está bien relatada, es ágil y tierna, explica una muy revisitada Segunda Guerra Mundial desde la inocente mirada de un niño que va dejando de serlo y que va perdiendo también la inocencia.
A mi hija le encantó, mucho más que otros libros "históricos" que les hacen leer en el colegio.
A mi hija le encantó, mucho más que otros libros "históricos" que les hacen leer en el colegio.
July 24, 2017
Enjoyed the book. Very easy to read since much of it is written from the perspective of a small boy.
March 26, 2018
Charming novel. Loved it.
November 11, 2018
Àgil i entretinguda història
March 13, 2020
This is why I love reading. The story flowed, it was interesting, characterisation spot on. The only pity was it had to end.
June 11, 2023
Incredibly tender, earnest, hopeful and thoughtful.
May 17, 2021
Em va encantar la manera en què explica com un nen viu la Segona Guerra Mundial amb tants coneixements i alhora amb tanta innocència com ho fa en Julek.
July 16, 2015
I picked this up on a whim from an indie bookstore, and I'm glad I did. We read so much about other WWII memoirs, dealing with concentration camp survivors and of the atrocities committed against the Jews, and while those are very important perspectives to have and to honor, there were plenty of other people who lived through the war as well. This book is an interesting look at what it was like for a young Polish boy, whose parents were communists, to make it through the war, hidden in France. I can't begin to imagine having to make up a new identity every time he had to switch homes, to make a new life for himself in every new city, to learn an entirely new language when he moved to France. And Julek/Julian/Roger does this all with seeming ease, and makes it through the war with aplomb.
I understand this novel is based on Gruda's father's reminisces, but I would have liked to have had more detail in places. A great deal of the book seems to skim over Julian's experiences without delving too deeply into them. The writing was also quite good throughout most of the book, but every so often, Gruda would throw in a sentence fragment, instead of continuing her sentence, and it was a bit jarring.
Even still, I'd give this book a solid 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding to 4 because I think it needs that extra boost.
I understand this novel is based on Gruda's father's reminisces, but I would have liked to have had more detail in places. A great deal of the book seems to skim over Julian's experiences without delving too deeply into them. The writing was also quite good throughout most of the book, but every so often, Gruda would throw in a sentence fragment, instead of continuing her sentence, and it was a bit jarring.
Even still, I'd give this book a solid 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding to 4 because I think it needs that extra boost.
August 6, 2014
..Ma Jurek è apparso ancora, questa volta sotto un'altra forma e un altro nome: ora si chiama Julek, ed è il protagonista de Il bambino che parlava la lingua dei cani, il romanzo esordio di Joanna Gruda. La sorte di Julek è simile a quella di Jurek: il giovane ha di nuovo la sfortuna di nascere da genitori ebrei polacchi proprio negli anni in cui Hitler decide di mettere a ferro e fuoco l'Europa. Ma questa volta c'è di più: Lena e Emil non sono solo ebrei, sono anche comunisti attivisti. E in quella situazione di estrema crisi internazionale sono i vertici del partito a decidere se una compagna militante può portare avanti una gravidanza o no.
Quando Lena si accorge di essere incinta si trova a Mosca, in esilio col Partito. E già rassegnata ad abortire, ma la caparbietà di Emil e una votazione favorevole di tutto il partito hanno la meglio. Julek nasce nel grembo della Grande Storia, che segnerà le fasi più turbolente della sua infanzia e dell'adolescenza...
Per leggere tutta la recensione: http://popoff.globalist.it/Detail_New...
Quando Lena si accorge di essere incinta si trova a Mosca, in esilio col Partito. E già rassegnata ad abortire, ma la caparbietà di Emil e una votazione favorevole di tutto il partito hanno la meglio. Julek nasce nel grembo della Grande Storia, che segnerà le fasi più turbolente della sua infanzia e dell'adolescenza...
Per leggere tutta la recensione: http://popoff.globalist.it/Detail_New...
December 5, 2014
Er zijn al heel wat boeken geschreven over de tweede wereldoorlog, ook vanuit het standpunt van kinderen/tieners. Om binnen deze collectie boeken op te vallen moet een boek op alle vlakken goed geschreven zijn. Gruda probeert de oorlog vanuit een nieuw standpunt te belichten, door een zoon van een Pools communistisch echtpaar aan het woord te laten. Julek moet voortdurend verhuizen en maakt hierdoor de oorlog maar zijdelings mee. In een van de laatste hoofdstukken staat: "De uitdrukking 'zo bleek als een doek' is hier uitstekend van toepassing, ik zou best origineler willen zijn, maar soms kun je niet om clichés heen." Dit vat het probleem van dit boek perfect samen. Door de luchtige toon en traditionele, chronologische vertelwijze is dit een vlot leesbaar verhaaltje dat jammer genoeg het anekdotische nooit overstijgt. Conclusie: even snel vergeten als gelezen.
December 18, 2016
La guerra attraverso gli occhi di un bambino
Di libri ambientati durante la seconda guerra mondiale ne sono stati scritti una infinità. In tutti questi libri la sofferenza, la crudeltà è presente. Invece, questo libro quasi la nasconde, descrivendola attraverso la vita di un bambino, che per quanto abbia vissuto un periodo molto difficile per l'Europa, ha sempre qualche ricordo positivo che lo accompagna.
Il piccolo Julian Gruda ha cambiato varie abitazioni nella sua infanzia. Il suo dover vivere sotto falso nome, essendo un ebreo comunista, è la normalità in quel periodo, fosse l'unico modo per sopravvivere.
E la guerra, la clandestinità, la sofferenza, tutto quello che è scritto nei libri di storia, passa quasi in sordina, nella vita quotidiana del bambino che parlava con gli animali.
Di libri ambientati durante la seconda guerra mondiale ne sono stati scritti una infinità. In tutti questi libri la sofferenza, la crudeltà è presente. Invece, questo libro quasi la nasconde, descrivendola attraverso la vita di un bambino, che per quanto abbia vissuto un periodo molto difficile per l'Europa, ha sempre qualche ricordo positivo che lo accompagna.
Il piccolo Julian Gruda ha cambiato varie abitazioni nella sua infanzia. Il suo dover vivere sotto falso nome, essendo un ebreo comunista, è la normalità in quel periodo, fosse l'unico modo per sopravvivere.
E la guerra, la clandestinità, la sofferenza, tutto quello che è scritto nei libri di storia, passa quasi in sordina, nella vita quotidiana del bambino che parlava con gli animali.
May 27, 2014
What an interesting book! Based on the author's father's childhood adventures, it shows how resilient children can be. Born in Poland around 1930 to two communists, Julek's life radically changes when his mother takes him to live in France - and he is informed that the people he thought were his parents were actually his aunt and uncle. He lives with many families and at a socialist orphanage outside Paris until after WWII, when his family is finally reunited. I don't think he ever totally accepted his birth mother but he forms loving relationships with teachers, friends, and several of the families who took him in. I'm assuming the author used her father's reminiscences as the basis of the story and seeing this time through a child's eyes is enlightening.
January 28, 2016
I liked it but at times found it a bit boring. The story of a couple who are part of the communist uprising in Poland have a child out of wedlock. They continue their activities and give the baby boy to the father's sister to raise as her own. When he is five the mother takes him to Paris...from then until he is 15 he is constantly moved around to families, assumes different identities and even when the war is over he is still under their control. I Read it til the end and while I tried to understand the times and what was happening; I was bothered by how little contact the mother had with her son...the real parents never really knew him!
July 6, 2013
J'ai bien aimé ce livre.
Une autre facette de la vie durant WW2, la vie de tous les jours.
Le bémol, quelques petits apartés qui se voulait comique, détendu mais qui en fin de compte n'apportait rien au roman. Je crois que l'auteur voulait donner un air bon-enfant au texte. Comme par exemple, Jules qui nous dit qu'il ne nous dira pas ... je comprends l'effet voulu mais non ...
Est ce que je recommande: oui ça se lit très vite alors un bon livre d'été mais pas de la grande littérature.Je relirais un autre roman du même auteur.
Une autre facette de la vie durant WW2, la vie de tous les jours.
Le bémol, quelques petits apartés qui se voulait comique, détendu mais qui en fin de compte n'apportait rien au roman. Je crois que l'auteur voulait donner un air bon-enfant au texte. Comme par exemple, Jules qui nous dit qu'il ne nous dira pas ... je comprends l'effet voulu mais non ...
Est ce que je recommande: oui ça se lit très vite alors un bon livre d'été mais pas de la grande littérature.Je relirais un autre roman du même auteur.
November 10, 2014
Julek is the son of Polish parents who were members of the Comintern - the communist International, the organization responsible for exporting Soviet communism to other countries. During WWII his mother Lena immigrates to France to join the resistance. This is the story of Julek's childhood during the war as told through his own words. He is moved from household to household for his own protection. He is an intelligent, resilient boy with family but no home.
May 1, 2013
On a beaucoup parlé de ce livre dans la presse locale. J'ai donc saisi l'occasion de le lire lorsque a bibliothèque en a fait l'acquisition. C'est bien, léger, mais intéressant. Quelle enfance il a eue ce Julian/Jules/Roger!
May 11, 2014
This story reads quickly but didn't really capture my attention. The story is about a young boy in a war ... without ever really being in it. In short it's the life story of a little boy that travels a lot. It's a nice perspective but not my cup of tea.
November 16, 2014
Ce livre ce lit vraiment rapidement. Très intéressant cette vision de la guerre à travers les yeux d'un enfant/adolescent. J'ai peut-être trouvé que le ton était un peu trop léger pour ce qu'était la deuxième guerre mondiale.
March 15, 2015
Me encanta, es una historia sencilla pero a la vez conmovedora. Ademas muestra otro aspecto de la II Guerra Mundial, quiero decir que no centrado en el holocausto, mostrando asi que habia mas historias que las que normalmente se asocian a este periodo.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews