Drei Tage und kein Ende

by Cili Wethekam, Lisa-Marie Blum (Illustrator), Max Bollwage (Illustrator)

Einen Bruder für ein Wochenende wünscht sich Saskia, damit Vater und Mutter wenigstens für drei Tage einen Sohn haben und ihre Töchter Saskia, Jule und Katrin endlich einmal erfahren, wie es sich mit einem Bruder lebt.
Doch was ihnen da ins Haus schneit, entspricht bei weitem nicht Jules Vorstellungen von einem Märchenprinzen. Drei atemlose Tage lang erleben sie die stürmische Anhänglichkeit eines beherzten Jungen, der bisher kein Familienleben gekannt hat und nun wie ein großes Glück genießt, was den drei Mädchen selbstverständlich ist. Der Abschied fällt allen schwer. Von Paris aus knüpft Frederic eifrig die Fäden der Freundschaft mit "seiner" Familie fester. Nur allmählich erkennen die Eltern zwischen den Zeilen seiner drolligen Briefe die ganze Verlassenheit des ungeborgenen Kindes, das einmal für drei Tage bei ihnen geborgen war und nun zuversichtlich auf das Wunder wartet, das ihm nur von ihnen kommen kann.

Genres: Middle Grade

211 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[U · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know when ppl ask me about my favourite book, only this book gets mentioned first:

Published in 1967 (my birth year) and sadly out of print, 'Drei Tage und kein Ende' (Three days and no ending/eternity) written by then popular German children's book author Cili Wethekam, is a gem in children's books. (Unfortunately her books never got translated). Drei Tage und kein Ende is a wonderful coming of age story, filled of wonder and which I feel compelled to read every year at least once. I still have one of the second edition prints from 1967 and the book is already falling apart but what the heck, reading it is like visiting a familiar friend. It makes me all teary-eyed and warm with the fuzzies :) My great-grandfather first read it to me, and when I was six I read it the first time all by myself.

The book opens to show us Family Helgers, a typical after war 1960's family. Dad Helgers is a graphic designer, Mom Helgers a stay at home mom for their three children Kathrin (the eldest with 18), Jules (Julia) a pesky 13 year old and little Saskia, at 10 a very good student. For each very good grade Saskia is allowed to ask for something and usually she asks for a cinema trip with her sister Jules. But not this time. Shortly before Christmas a French boy's choir stops in their city and the choir is looking for families taking care of the boys for the time they are in town. Saskia requests for a temporary son for her father and it is agreed they will take in a young choir boy for three days.

Frederic isn't the usual well kept boy everyone expects. His father, who was a German POW in France, died leaving him with his stepmother in Paris. He has crummy teeth, squinty eyes and has to wear thick glasses. But he is the soloist of the choir, his voice being remarkable. He looks more like a scarecrow than a boy, but Family Helgers fall head over heels for their little French exchange son and Frederic falls in love with his 'famille'.

The book continues to tell how the bond between the family and their temporary son grows stronger and stronger not only in the three days he stays with them but also afterwards and that they visit him in Paris and also take him on vacation down to the Loire Castles.

Of course, Frederic harbours a secret. Since his last tour he has lost his singing voice and as he doesn't want to be a hindrance to his stepmother Mado puts all his effort into making his family realize that they should take them in as an adopted son.

It sounds a bit corny when reading my summary above but the book is well written and Frederic with his Frenchized German is just adorable.
A must read IMHO, as it doesn't feel like a mere children's book but that of a tale of love, family and knowing where one belongs. Three days and eternity.