The Silver Sword is a paper knife that symbolizes the past and the family’s strength to move onward.

This is the story of a Polish family during World War II.  Before the war the family did well.  The father was headmaster of a private school.  Unfortunately, the father Joseph Balicki was sent to a prison camp in the mountains of South Poland by the Nazis in 1940, leaving his three children to fend for themselves (13, 11 and 3 years old).

But Joseph was determined to escape.  During the first winter he was too ill and dispirited to try…. A group of six … tried to break away together, but their attempt failed. (p. 2)

Despite the difficulties, both children and father keep strong.  Eventually Joseph did escape and return to find Warsaw bombed out and his family gone.  He kept looking for them and they for him, and eventually they meet up in Switzerland.