--- product_id: 11065387 title: "Black Radishes" brand: "susan lynn meyer" price: "S$17" currency: SGD in_stock: true reviews_count: 6 url: https://www.desertcart.sg/products/11065387-black-radishes store_origin: SG region: Singapore --- # Black Radishes **Brand:** susan lynn meyer **Price:** S$17 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Black Radishes by susan lynn meyer - **How much does it cost?** S$17 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sg](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/11065387-black-radishes) ## Best For - susan lynn meyer enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted susan lynn meyer brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Black Radishes ## Images ![Black Radishes - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51i3F6wBVIL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent Novel Based on True Stories *by M***N on Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2012* Susan Lynn Meyer grew up listening to her dad talk about his childhood in France during World War II, and this excellent debut novel is loosely based on his stories. Good books about the period are emotionally draining; I have to steel myself to begin one. Opening "Black Radishes," I clung to the knowledge that Meyer's dad had survived to tell the tale.The book opens in Paris in 1940 with 11-year-old Gustave and his pals on a scavenger hunt with their Boy Scout troop. It's all pretty ordinary with the war far away - except that Uncle David is a soldier, the Eiffel Tower has been painted brown so it won't stand out from the air, and someone has scrawled "Jews Out of France!" on the street.Gustave's family is Jewish, his parents more clear-sighted than most, and they decide to move south to a village they think will be safe should the war come closer. When a few months later Germany invades, the family joins thousands of other people fleeing for Spain. Ultimately, they have to turn back, but not before the jammed road they're on is strafed by Nazi planes.In the aftermath, Gustave sees motionless people lying in a field, then "something large and dark" lying in the road. "It was Jacques, the pony. He had been shot. His beautiful brown head was thrown back, and a pool of dark blood spread out around him...."The passage is a good measure of how Meyer portrays the horror of war at the appropriate level -- honestly but without inducing nightmares. The pony's dead, and its owner is heartbroken, but when Gustave's family finds a crying toddler alone, he is soon reunited with his uninjured mom.Most of the book concerns Gustave's life in the village as France falls, the Germans come closer, and Gustave worries that people will find out his family is Jewish. In the most suspenseful scenes, Gustave's resourceful father braves German checkpoints and crosses into occupied France to bring back food and, eventually, people.Ultimately, the book's focus is not breathless drama but how life goes on, even with war and its atrocities looming. The detail of the black radishes is particularly telling. Before I started reading, I assumed they were symbolic -- scorched earth, evil, the bitterness of hunger.In fact, they are real radishes - a peppery treat that Gustave likes with bread, and German soldiers like salted with beer. Gustave makes good use of them - and so does the author. Like the wartime experience of refugees in France, the radishes may at first seem strange and foreign, but in the end, Meyer brings them home. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ loved this book-and so did my son *by D***K on Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2011* I loved this book. It is beautifully written, persuasively imagined, and completely compelling. I learned a lot from it on a practical level, and I liked it the way I like YA books that obviously also have an adult audience. I was glad for the author's note at the back telling about the sources for parts of the story, since throughout I couldn't help but wonder how the author knew the inside of the experience so very well. I also have to say that I'm glad that this is one of my son's first Holocaust books. The book was completely honest and straightforward, but in a way that he could digest at age 11. He could be presented with the facts and be aware of how horrible things were without being so overwhelmed by the nightmare that he couldn't take the truth in. I know I'm going to be recommending (and giving) this book to a lot of my Jewish friends with children in the upcoming year.Here's my son's book report on the book: "This is a realistic novel about growing up in France in WW2. It has some sad parts, such as when Jean-Paul leaves his friends in Paris, and some terrifying scenes, like when Jean-Paul is travelling and the road he is on is attacked by German planes. This is a suspenseful and exciting read full of mystery and friendship." ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gripping Story *by L***N on Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2013* I loved Black Radishes. The main character, Gustave, was very much a normal little boy born in extraordinary and tragic circumstances. I really liked how the author wrote Gustave as a kid who doesn't quite see the real picture of what is happening to his country. He slowly realizes the depth of evil that has gripped France. When he is separated from his cousin and best friend, he begins to realize how ugly the war has become. Through his cleverness, he comes up with solutions that seem heroic and yet not overdone at all. I was particularly impressed with how real the setting felt, as well as the characters. This story is unusual in that it looks at one particular setting and situation of the era that is unique and really delves into the life during that time. Gustave is charming and brave and ordinary, but his circumstances and keen understanding of human behavior help him survive. This is a great story for kids just beginning to understand that horrible time in history. Boys and girls will love this book, as will their parents. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sg/products/11065387-black-radishes](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/11065387-black-radishes) --- *Product available on Desertcart Singapore* *Store origin: SG* *Last updated: 2026-04-29*