Rescue of real treasure...is this how it happened?

Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

I first read this when 9 or 10 years old. 

Trust me...many decades in the past!

I could remember having loved this book!

Some 50 years later I still loved it!

I can understand how a child would adore this book...

the children get to fully participate in this covert operation

and without them, the gold would have been confiscated by the Nazi regime and spent to support Hitler's regime 

and military campaign for world dominance.

How's that for a story? :)

Although it is known for certain that over $9,000,000 worth of gold bullion was delivered to the U.S. by Norwegians about a year following the outbreak of World War II, there has never been any proof located as to how this gold was 'rescued.'

Ms. McSwigan chose to fictionalize one of the possible scenarios talked about--

that Norwegian boys and girls had smuggled the gold 

past armed Nazi guards to save it from Hitler! 

Could anything be more exciting or awe-inspiring to children than risking their lives and accomplishing something adults alone could not manage? Of course not!

The book begins with Peter's uncle, Victor Lundstrum, not spending time with Peter and his friends as he usually did. Peter knew he had returned from one of his fishing expeditions, because he had seen him...but why didn't he come to visit and share stories of adventure?

Peter's father works for the bank and is "very worried" about something and begins leaving the house at night. Peter's uncle Victor is inexplicably still nowhere to be found. But seemingly all the citizens were involved in this elaborate deception. 

Although the Nazis try to reopen the school and prevent the children from sledding each and every day, they are prevented from doing so by the outbreak of an unidentifiable illness of epidemic proportions, so that school must remain closed and the 'older' children (who remarkably seem immune to this disease) can continue with their sled riding and snowman building.

Although the Nazis try to reopen the school and prevent the children from sledding each and every day, they are prevented from doing so by the outbreak of an unidentifiable illness of epidemic proportions, so that school must remain closed and the 'older' children (who remarkably seem immune to this disease) can continue with their sled riding and snowman building. 

It is very exciting! Peter becomes a prisoner and one of the soldiers proves his innocence as a conscripted Pole by effecting Peter's rescue. Though Peter is unable to return home...

I can't wait to see what my grandchildren think of this one!

Have you read it or heard of this smuggling escapade?

I love the fact that McSwigan chose to fictionalize the story in this way, 
making the children true heroes!