When tram conductor, Hans, and ticket collector, Lars, claim that Beatrice is their niece, they save her from the same fate of her mother, but open themselves up to the dangers of hiding a Jewish child in 1940's Amsterdam. Ordinary citizens risk everything to save a young Jewish girl in wartime Holland. This suspenseful novel vividly portrays the fear, uncertainty, and terror of the Nazi occupation in Holland. It is a story that reflects both the worst and best of humankind. A worthy addition to children's books about the Holocaust, The End of the Line will leave young readers to ponder how the most dreadful conditions can lead ordinary citizens to perform the most heroic acts. People like Lars, Hans, and Mrs. Vos, who risked their own lives to save Jews in wartime Europe, were later recognized and honored as "Righteous Gentiles."
