The Boy Who Dared is set in Nazi Germany during the 1930s and 40s. The historical setting of the book is very important, because the author, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, wants to give young adult readers an insight into what life was like for young people at that time, as well as tell an interesting story. The book is based on a real person, Helmut Hübener, who, like many boys in Nazi Germany, joined the Hitler Youth organization. Before the Nazis took over, membership was voluntary, but after Hitler came to power in 1933, it was compulsory for all boys to join.
Initially, Helmut is a very enthusiastic Nazi, someone who genuinely believes that Hitler is Germany's savior. But Helmut develops a conscience, and as time goes on, he finds it harder to reconcile what happens under the Nazis with his Mormon beliefs. He also becomes increasingly disturbed at the treatment of the Jews, their systematic persecution by the Nazis culminating in the Holocaust.
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