“Does the world know what’s happening? If they did…would they do something?” – I Must Betray You

You know my love of historical fiction runs deep. These books are powerful because they are filled with stories based on fact that always inspire and educate. They can fill us with empathy and compassion. They also remind us to be careful as history can easily repeat itself. It’s takes strong people willing to speak up and stand up against injustice.

I Must Betray You is an incredible YA book about the brave people of Romania in the late 1980’s (yes, you read that right), who rose up against a powerful dictator to demand freedom. Told from the perspective of a teenage boy, you learn how the government lied, starved, and beat their own people but they could not break them. Yet they still had dreams. They still had humor. And they still had hope.

“They steal our power by making us believe we don’t have any. They’re controlling us through our own fear.”

This was a fast read, but it didn’t diminish it’s power. The character are easy to relate to and love.
And given all that is going on in the world, how could I read this and not think of the people of Ukraine? Read this if you want to learn more about life under communist rule + some of the history of Romania during this time.

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