Now or Never: A Dunkirk Story

Subjects

Action Adventures - chills, thrills and plenty of spills
History Time - blasts from the past

Average rating

5 out 5

A gripping adventure in an exciting new series reflecting
the authentic, unsung stories of our past!

“The superb Voices series takes unsung heroes of the past and imagines them recounting the story of their remarkable lives’ ” – The Times Now or Never brings a young soldier, Private Fazal Khan, from his home in India to the battlefields of the Second World War. Fazal’s world is now focused on Company 32 and the animals he cares for in the midst of one of the most frightening times in history. And as he and his friends make their way to the beaches of Dunkirk, Fazal must deal with even more than the terrors of a dangerous trek to reach the evacuation zone. The Company’s captain defends his troops in the face of a terrible betrayal at the point of rescue: not everyone has welcomed the help brought by the Royal Indian Army Service Corps. Now Fazal is forced to question why he is even there and why he is expected to be loyal to a king whose people don’t all see him as their equal. VOICES: A thrilling new series showcasing some of the UK’s finest writers for young people. VOICES reflects the authentic, unsung stories of our past. Each shows that, even in times of great upheaval, a myriad of people have arrived on this island and made a home for themselves – from Roman times to the present day.

I have read this book

Abandoning his home in India to become part of Company 32, Private Fazal Khan is proud to be supporting the British in World War Two. But as events in France take a turn for the worst, the frightening journey to the evacuation zone inn Dunkirk becomes nothing compared to the betrayal he and his comrades face at the point of rescue. Why should a boy from India show loyalty to people who don't all see him as their equal?

Principal Ursula Menace 06.08.2022

Star Reviewer

It shows you can get tough anything. i recommend it.

Nurse Pongo Snivel 12.08.2021

Could not put this down- such an easy read. Just had to keep reminding myself it was a fiction book.

Anonymous 31.08.2020

I thought that the book Now or never: A Dunkirk story was a frightening book to read as all it talked about was moments of war. My favourite character was Private Fazal Khan (who is a member of the royal Indian army service corps in the story) as him and his friend Mush had been made fun of just because of the colour of there skin but they still did not feel bad. The thing that interested me was that Mush and Fazal taught the soldiers all about their religion after not getting treated equally and all the men from the British empire try their best to fulfil all their duties. I would recommend this book to 10 years and older and rate it 3/10 as it wasn't my type and I felt like it is for kids who enjoys reading scary war stories.

Judge Harmonica Godzilla 26.08.2020

This book was very emotional and actually made me cry at how the Indians were treated because of the colour of their skin. I would recommend this to other people as I found it very educational.

Detective Itchy Mystery 09.08.2020

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