Cobalt

This is the exciting follow-up story to Sue’s debut novel Zinc (2022), in which three Jewish siblings - John, George and Eva - continue to play key roles in the WW2 war effort, encountering high stakes and thrilling adventures in the UK and across war-torn Europe.

George trains in Scotland for a Special Operations Executive (SOE) mission to Poland to help the fighters in the Secret Army.

John, following his code-breaking work at Bletchley Park, is now stationed in Cairo, Egypt, working on plans to deceive Field Marshall Rommel about the location of the impending battle.

Eva, still living in Hungary and working for the Resistance, is finding that life for anyone Jewish is getting harder and harder, as the Nazis tighten their grip over the country.

Will the siblings ever manage to find each other again? They share so many memories, but war keeps them apart.

Like Zinc, Cobalt is based on the extraordinary real-life experiences of Sue Klauber’s father (John), uncle (George) and aunt (Eva). The story highlights the positive and courageous contribution that many immigrants to the UK made during WW2 in helping to defeat the Nazis.

REVIEWS

Guide to the best new books for toddlers, teens and those in between: "Klauber ably handles the challenge of creating empathy for an adult cast, using flashbacks and reminiscences, and demonstrating how the siblings’ contrasting personality traits, evident since childhood, enable them to help the war effort." - Jewish Chronicle

RESOURCES & EXTRAS

Read Sue’s blog: Sue Klauber takes us behind the scenes of 'Cobalt', the much-anticipated sequel to 'Zinc'.

Sue is available for author events in a variety of contexts, such as schools, libraries and community groups. Find out more, including contact details to discuss an event, in this flyer: Zinc by Sue Klauber: author events.

Take a journey with Sue Klauber on the ‘Words & Pictures’ webzine where she talks about the real-life family story that inspired her books, Zinc and Cobalt: www.wordsandpics.org/2022/11/debut-journeys-sue-slauber.

“It’s quite original in children’s and teen fiction to present a Jewish family’s involvement in the war in terms of active service as British citizens, rather than as victims.” View / download Two Spies and a code-breaker in the family, Sue’s interview with the Jewish Chronicle.

You can also see Sue Klauber discussing aspects of her works through Troika Books' collection of YouTube videos, including the real-life family stories that inspired Cobalt, as well as the real-life bases for characters Eva and George.