Not having much interest or success in school, and never satisfying his father’s expectations, twelve-year-old Patrick Condon flees his erratic job on the docks in Ballybricken, Ireland, for an idealized army life. A not-so scrupulous recruiter simply winks when Patrick adopts his brother John’s identity and age—seventeen—to enlist. When war is declared, Patrick again lies about his age and identity so that he can be sent into action. Based on factual material and two years of research, Spillebeen relates the story of the youngest casualty of World War I. Patrick’s grave in Flanders Field is simply marked, “Age 14.” lmp

Originally published as Age 14 in Dutch by Averbode The Netherlands, in 2000. Translated by Terese Edelstein.