Stuart: A Life Backwards

Dramatic tale of 7 year old Jerko who witnesses the destruction of family and village in 1991 during a Serbian attack of a peaceful Croatian village. He manages to escape and ends up in a war orphanage.

Vienna, spring 1941: The Nazis have occupied the city, Jews are no longer safe. At the instigation of her worried father, 14-year-old Betty finds herself in a group of Jewish children who are to be smuggled to Palestine by an aid organization. Betty loses everything: her home, her family and her best friend. On the arduous journey, the group finds temporary shelter in a country house near Zagreb. When their companion Georg is shot dead, the children, now led by young Josko and his helper Helga, have to continue their flight on their own. Finally they reach the Italian village of Nonantola and move into an empty villa there. For a moment, boys and girls can be like other peers: friendships are made and romantic feelings are formed. The harsh reality of war soon catches up with the refugees. On their dangerous journey into the unknown, they must move on again.

Three partisans come to a fascist held town at the end of the war to create diversions. Their protector is tortured to reveal their whereabouts, but the partisans arrive in time.

Four young Germans in a Soviet POW camp decide to join the Red Army to hasten the end of the war. Their new identities elicit different reactions from Germans and Russians, and are difficult to live up to when they are sent behind German lines.

In Rorke's Drift in 1879, eighty men, under Lieutenants Chard and Bromhead, of the British army, were attacked by four thousand Zulus, and held their pitifully weak position despite the tremendous odds. Our story of the fight centers about the person of Tommy Brandon, a young soldier in the British army. Tommy was very much in love with Grace, the sister of Kenneth Linden, a brother soldier. Since Ken Linden was pitifully weak, Tommy had promised Grace to watch over him, and keep him out of scrapes. Hence, one evening when Ken cheated in a card game, Tommy allowed the guilt to rest upon his own shoulders. His generous effort cost him Grace's affection, as well as the contempt of the entire company. Tommy regained his good name when the Zulus commenced an active campaign. The message of the impending danger to Rorke's Drift was telegraphed to Tommy's company by Grace, who had seen the Zulus massing for the attack. Tommy begged his commander to allow him to ride to Lord Chalmsford for reinforcements. The commander consented and Tommy started on his perilous journey. On the way, he came upon a band of Zulus who had captured the colors from the cowardly Linden. Tommy recklessly charged them, and rescued the flag. Then he continued on his way through the midst of peril, and reached Lord Chalmsford in time to send the relief expedition to the gallant little hand at Rorke's Drift. Meanwhile, Grace had found her dying brother, and had learned from him the full story of Tommy's generosity. At Rorke's Drift, four hundred dead Zulus bore witness to the prowess of the desperate band. Chalmsford's expedition arrived in time to complete the rout of the savage natives, and when Tommy returned to Grace, he came as a hero without spot or blemish on his good name.