December 1944. The Netherlands has been under occupation for five years. Michiel is sixteen and lives in constant fear. Recently, in a neighboring village, all the men were hanged from lanterns. And yesterday the neighbors were arrested. Everyone has a relative forced to hide from the Nazis, or a friend in a concentration camp. Only the burgomaster, Michiel's father, is using his last strength to restrain the cruelty of the invaders. And here is the request of a friend who ended up in the dungeons of the Gestapo. The request is vital - and deadly. Michiel can't do it alone. But who can you trust? Who will dare to help? For any resistance and disobedience - execution...Jan Terlau (born 1931) is a famous European politician and writer. Immediately after the publication of the story “Winter during the War” in 1972, he received the Golden Pen Award, the main award in the Netherlands in the field of children's literature. His book, one of the most popular in his homeland, easily ranks with such classic works about wartime childhood as “Cloud Regiment” by Eduard Verkin and “When I was little, we had a war...” by Stanislav Olefir. In 2008, the story was filmed Martin Koolhoven. In Russia the film was released under the title “Winter in Wartime.”