FOR LOVE OF A DONKEY

In this unique approach to the war orphan, Betty Bowen has created a delightful saga. Karin, a German girl whose family was killed in the war, and her donkey, Bellissimo, are taken on a long journey to a Children's Village in Switzerland. Karin suspects that the little old man who is leading the trip is an elf, or perhaps an angel -- for how can a person be so wonderful. There is no plot, just a journey that is filled with episodes. They meet an old woman in search of her daughter, a group of boys out digging potatoes, a British ambulance driver, a little boy. They visit a hospital and pass by the ruins of cities. The sustaining interest is in whether or not Karin and her mysterious angel will succeed in getting Bellissimo across the border. A thoroughly enjoyable, imaginative book, sparkling with the warmth of human nature.