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"Age 14" by Geert Spillebeen

Author:

Greet Spillebeen

Publisher:

Houghton Mifflin

Spillebeen, Geert. Age 14  Houghton Mifflin, New York, 2009.

A fictionalized account of an Irish child soldier, Patrick Condon, who died when he was age 14 in World War I, Age 14 was originally published in Belgium in 2000, translated into English by Terese Edelstein in 2009.  Always longing for adventure and disliking school, Patrick comes from a poor, working class family in Ireland. Starting work at the docks at age 10, Patrick is strong for his age, eager to leave school and start earning a living.  On the docks he encounters the crooked politics of the workforce and the unscrupulous men who take advantage of child labor.  Eventually, Patrick runs away and takes on his brother, John’s identity and age to enlist part time in the local militia.  Patrick thrives in the militia, enjoying the regimen, physical work and comradeship.  Another part-time member of the militia, Tom, understands that Patrick is still a child, takes him under his wing and serves as a father-figure throughout the story.  As war draws closer, Patrick takes leave of the militia to enlist full-time in the Special Reserve. Although still young and naive, Patrick keeps up with the adults and proves himself to be their equal in skill.  It is not until his regiment is finally sent to the front, and Patrick observes the soldiers returning, that he realizes that real war will not be the adventure he had anticipated.  Once his battalion reaches the front line, the cruelest realities of trench warfare hit him hard.  To the reader, the senseless brutality of the First World War become apparent as thousands of lives are lost, with so little ground gained.   

Spillebeen organizes his Patrick’s story into sections, indicated by date and location, with shorter chapters with titles summarizing the upcoming section “A Recruit Again…and a Step Up?”  Once Patrick enters combat, additional chapters reveal the thoughts and plans of Fritz Haber, the German chemist who created the deadly gasses Patrick’s battalion faced in their last days. Concluding with excellent notes from the author - the facts about Haber, the research and questions surrounding Patrick Condon – the book leaves the reader with a deeper understanding of the violence, pain and horror of war – as it was 100 years ago, and as it is for all soldiers, including children, today.

Many middle school children, particularly boys, are fascinated with the concept and adventure of war.  Fueled by a video/computer game industry which feeds this attraction, most boys cannot even begin to comprehend the realities of a child soldier; Age 14 will initially attract such boys. Hopefully, readers will learn the horrors of real war, moving to a more mature viewpoint of the senseless loss of life and evil inherent in all wars.

Kristine Wildner, Holy Apostles School, New Berlin, WI