John Steinbeck–THE MOON IS DOWN
Posted in Classic Novel, Germany, Historical, Norway on Jan 10th, 2011
In an unnamed country (similar to Norway) during World War II, a German sympathizer lures local men and the town’s twelve soldiers into the forest long enough for the Germans to take the town. They occupy the home of the mayor as a sign of their power and commandeer the local coal mine. Mayor Orden has never before been a brave or very forceful man, but he is not a fool, and while he tries to keep order in the town, as the Germans demand, he refuses to use the power of his office to betray the ideals of his people. Soon the locals begin to sabotage everything the Germans can use to prolong the war. Simple, direct, concise, and humane, this may be the most effective piece of mass propaganda ever written.
