There are good secrets, and there are bad secrets. But one thing is certain: everyone has secrets—especially in the Nazi-occupied French village Lucas DuBois calls home. Lucas secretly wishes for courage, though it has never come easily to him. The other boys at the orphanage tease him, and he aches for a chance to prove he’s braver than they think. He gets his first opportunity when he rescues a litter of kittens from a group of cruel boys and hides them away in an abandoned stable. There, he meets Alice, the daughter of a horse trainer who is secretly sheltering her family’s animal in the same space. She isn’t thrilled to find Lucas intruding, but she reluctantly agrees to let him keep the cats.
Before long, an uneasy alliance turns into friendship, and Lucas begins to notice the quiet network of secrets threading through the village. The housekeeper at the German maternity home and a priest at the orphanage exchange coded messages. A young mother risks everything to keep her baby from forced adoption. A neighbor may be hiding a Jewish family behind closed doors. Inspired by the small, dangerous acts of bravery unfolding around him, Lucas must decide how much he’s willing to risk, and whether he can finally become the hero he’s always wanted to be.
In The Lion’s Run, Sara Pennypacker uses the backdrop of World War II to tell an intimate coming-of-age story—one about finding your voice, discovering your courage, and recognizing the quiet acts of resistance that defined everyday defiance during the Nazi occupation. I was struck by how small and personal the story feels against such a vast, devastating chapter of history. It’s a reminder that even as the horrors of war unfold on a global scale, small acts of humanity still persist.
Of course, this period has been explored countless times in historical fiction, but Pennypacker’s tale feels both relevant and necessary. She captures the idea that bravery doesn’t always look grand or heroic; sometimes it’s found in the smallest, most private choices. If anything, it’s a poignant reminder that courage can take many forms—if we’re willing to step forward and act.
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(2026, 12)
