Ashes by Christopher De Vinck is a tale of friendship, war and courage. The story begins in Belgium in July 1939. Simone Lyon is the daughter of a national hero and becomes friends with Hava Daniels. Hava is Jewish and comes from a devout family, which consists of her mother and father and younger brother Benjamin. Simone on the other hand is an only child who's mother has died and she is lonely. Her father is always busy and she therefore enjoys visting Hava's family home and learning the Jewish stories and customs. She becomes a member of the tight knit family and the girls become inseparable. However, in the spring of 1940 Nazi planes begin bombing Brussels. Simone's father is called away and Simone is alone. Both Hava and Simone are caught up in the chaos of war and flee Brussels. As the story unfolds I did not warm to Simone and felt that she was quite a selfish character. The author places Hava in a favourably light every time they come up against harrowing events. I also could guess the ending of this story, however I still enjoyed reading the book.