Belly Robbers

By: Geoff Brown

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

The soldier squinted in the cold mist. His hands were cold and clumsy inside his gloves. They made his finger awkward in the trigger guard. “Careful, Joshua,” he said to himself, “or you’ll fire just from being clumsy. My feet are cold, my knee in the snow is cold. The rifle is cold against my cheek. Aba, how did I get into this fix? What is Bastogne to me or me to Bastogne?”

Interesting to learn more about cooks in the army in WWII.

Spoiler alert!!

It was easy to like this story of Staff Sergeant Benjamin. He was a older than most draftees and already had a great deal of experience working as a cook. The bonus was that he was a religious Jew and understood all of the kosher rules for cooking and preparing food.

I liked how he kept calm and sought to use wisdom as he dealt with his men and the others he encountered. I found myself snickering sometimes and crying others, so the story yields a nice range of emotion.

When Sergeant Benjamin began his work with the Displaced Persons, it was particularly sad and emotional. Dealing with the aftermath of the Holocaust should never be taken lightly, and this book finds a nice balance.

I think the book should include some type of epilogue to portray how Sergeant Benjamin has married and he and his wife have at least 3 children. I have heard and read that many Jewish families have more than 2 children as a way to remember the loss of so many Jewish lives after the Holocaust. What better way to show that Sergeant Benjamin has gained even more understanding from his experiences?