Sworn Enemies

Aaron and Zev have been protected from serving in the czar’s army for very different reasons – Aaron’s father pays to keep his scholarly son free and Zev works as a khapper, kidnapping other poor, young Jewish boys to fulfill the czar’s arm quotas. Zev’s jealousy of Aaron turns to hate when he discovers that Miriam, the girl he loves, will be Aaron’s future wife. Zev decides to rid himself of Aaron forever by turning him over to the czar’s army, where few survive the forced labor. In this powerful novel set in the reign of Nicholas I in Russia, Carol Matas explores the complex issues of betrayal, faith and forgiveness. Winner of The Sydney Taylor Award, New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, Canadian Library Association Notable book, Notable Children’s Trade Book in the field of Social Studies by NCSS, U.S.