This story is told through the eyes of Bruno, an 9-year-old boy whose father is a German army officer. As seen through Bruno's eyes, his father is a very important and very good man. Bruno barely notices the inconsistencies when his family moves from Berlin to a place he calls, "Out With" (Auschwitz). He quickly becomes bored without his friends, and begins exploring the area, wondering why all of the people on the other side of the fence wear pajamas all day, and why he isn't allowed to play with them. He meets one boy, Shmuel, and begins a daily discussion with him through the fence, far from Bruno's home.
Bruno sees many parallels between his life and Shmuel's: they share a birthdate, they were both forced to move from homes they loved, etc. He also notices that he does not like the way the family's butler and others of "those people" are treated by the soldiers. He is especially confused when the butler, Pavel, claims he is actually a doctor, a soldier beats Pavel for spilling wine, and Shmuel complains about life on the other side of the fence. Bruno thinks he is lucky to have other children to play with since Bruno is alone. Bruno is also confused why and guilty that he claims he's never seen Shmuel before and denies sharing food with him, claiming Shmuel stole it.
Tragedy strikes when Bruno crosses the fence to help his friend search for his missing father.
This is a creative interpretation and voice on a frequently-explored tragedy. This is a quick read, which I highly recommend.
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