Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II

Max decides that Stein and Berg are imaginary, a trauma response to leaving home. While waiting to disembark, Max questions the two creatures. Berg, a kobold, explains he is a spirit of the German land, while Stein, a dybbuk, identifies as a spirit of the Jewish people. Both of them like to cause mischief but neither “look scary,” they are like little old men. They tell Max they were created by the “Holy Hand” on the sixth day of creation, along with infinite other supernatural beings. Max asks why they are with him and they say they’re “hitching a ride out of Germany” (9) because of the Nazis. They reveal that other spirits are on the shoulders of the other children too, but are invisible to Max, just as only Max can see Berg and Stein.

The spirits reassure Max that they are not “haunting” him but that they like to bother people and believe this is their purpose. To demonstrate, Berg ties a sleeping boy’s shoelaces together. Max unties them and warns the boy, stopping the prank. Stein and Berg complain that Max ruins their fun but confirm they will stay with him until the Nazis are gone. Max absorbs this new reality as he prepares to step ashore in England.

On the dock, Max looks at the many people waiting to collect refugee children, wondering who has come for him. He is introduced to a man called Mr. Ken, whom he learns is the Montagu family’s chauffeur. Max is to live with the Montagus in their London house.

As they drive toward London in a Rolls-Royce, Max decides to test whether Stein and Berg are real, reasoning that, if they are only in his imagination, they cannot tell him a fact he doesn’t already know. As Max knows he is ignorant about cars, he asks Stein to state a technical fact about the car’s engine, which Max asks Mr. Ken to verify. Mr. Ken confirms the detail, and the validation overwhelms Max. He asks Mr. Ken to pull over and vomits by the roadside. The drive resumes in silence as Max confronts the truth that the creatures must be real.

That evening, Max arrives at 28 Kensington Court, the Montagu home. Max is amazed by the luxury of the house and thinks of his parents in their small apartment. The Montagu family are warm and welcoming. He meets Mrs. Montagu, her sons David and Anthony, and Mr. Stuart Montagu. He also meets Mr. Montagu’s two younger brothers: Uncle Ewen, who works for the government, and Uncle Ivor. Ewen welcomes Max with a Murphy A46 radio for his new bedroom. Max is astonished by the comfort of the room and the generous gift.

In his new room, Max sets up the radio and tries to tune into Berlin but hears only static. He thanks Ewen for the gift politely. Ewen studies him quietly, aware that Max is “hiding something.”

The family gathers for dinner in the luxurious dining room. Again, Max compares this comfort to his parents’ modest meal. Max is surprised to find that the Montagus are Jewish, when Mrs. Montagu lights the candles and the family recites blessings. He feels deeply uncomfortable, not understanding why. Although he knows he seems sulky and ungrateful, he pulls back from the ritual, refuses the challah, and asks when he can go home. Uncle Ewen tells him it could be a long time.

During dinner, the family discuss politics, arguing about whether Hitler or Stalin are the cruelest dictators. Secretly, Max slides a dinner knife into his pocket. Berg and Stein are shocked and wonder what he’s planning. Max declines pudding and asks to be excused. He returns to his room with the knife concealed.

In his bedroom, Max ignores Stein and Berg’s questions about the knife. He uses it to unscrew the radio. He pulls out a copper wire to create an enhanced antenna in order to hear the Berlin broadcast. The station is broadcasting Nazi propaganda from Hans Fritzsche and Joseph Goebbels. Max finds the antisemitism “particularly terrifying,” an escalation from what he has heard broadcast before. He resolves to return to help his parents, although Berg and Stein point out that his parents have done everything they could to keep him safe and that parents protect their children, not the other way around. Max reflects that he doesn’t feel this way about his parents. Remembering how hard they work and how tired yet gentle they are, he feels intensely protective of them. Music starts to play on the radio and Max turn it up. He doesn’t hear an unknown “spy” approach his door. This person recognizes the German broadcast and that Max has enhanced the radio himself.

A few weeks later, Max starts at St. West’s School with David and Anthony. Max’s English has improved but he is still concerned about it. David and Anthony try to explain to Max about the schoolboys’ arcane slang and rules, but Max is confused. David also warns him not to mention being Jewish and Max replies that he is used to having to hide this.

David and Max are in the same class. Their teacher, Master Yarrow, calls Max up to the front and mocks him for his German background and his family’s modest circumstances. The other boys laugh at him, except for David who is embarrassed. Master Yarrow reminds the class that they will have rugby trials soon, deliberately using school slang that Max can’t understand in order to make him feel excluded. The lesson continues for two hours; Max is distracted because Berg keeps knocking Master Yarrow’s book to the floor.

At break, two boys—Circuitt and Bonner—confront Max and tell him he “doesn’t belong.” They call him a Nazi spy and other students surround him. When Max argues that he can hardly be a Nazi because he is Jewish, Circuitt and Bonner lead the boys in antisemitic bullying. Max remembers that he has endured much worse in Germany and wonders why he still feels so hurt by this when it is “so immature, so stupid” (44).

During the car ride home, Max remembers his school in Berlin. Max’s teacher, Professor Goldenschaft, lectured on the Nazi antisemitic concept of “Jewish science” in which Jewish scientists’ contributions were represented as false, unpatriotic and worthless and scientific progress was attached only to “Aryan” scientists. Max set a trap for his teacher by praising particular scientific advances which he knew had been discovered by Jewish scientists. Professor Goldenschaft agrees and then finds he has been tricked by Max. He beats Max with a ruler, but Max feels a private triumph and decides it was worth the beating.

In the car, Max smiles.

The next day at school, Max sees Circuitt and Bonner bullying the much younger Anthony and forcing him to repeat antisemitic slurs. Max steps in to protect Anthony, threatening to stab Circuitt or any other boy who bullies Anthony again. Anthony looks at him with “awe.”

In class, Master Yarrow calls Max to the front. He has designed a “lesson” especially to humiliate him. He makes Max read out non-phonetic English place names like “Worcestershire,” and the class laughs at Max. On the ride home, Anthony asks Max about the antisemitic slurs the boys have called him at school. Max explains that bullies use such words to make Jews feel weak, but they must remember that they are strong. When Anthony asks why other people want to make the Jews feel weak, Max wishes he knew the answer.

On Thursday, the boys wait on the school field for rugby tryouts. Max stands next to Harold Wadia, the only boy who “[sticks] out more than” Max, because he is Indian. Master Yarrow refers to the recent declaration of war against Germany and leads the boys in jingoistic chants, using racial slurs. Max notices that Harold winces at this. Master Yarrow says that weakest player at rugby will be forced to carry “the colors” and Harold explains to Max that this means waving the school’s pink flag during matches, considered a humiliation. Harold and Max watch as boys are called onto the pitch to play—in fact a means for the stronger boys to viciously beat up other boys. Harold gives Max some advice about how to deal with the rugby trials: Fight back and don’t cry. When it is Max’s turn, Circuitt tackles Max hard and tells him that “Hitler knows what to do with your type” (66). Waiting on the sidelines, Harold tells Max he has it easy. Max is astonished but Harold explains that it’s more possible for Max to “pass” as English. Max says he has been quiet long enough.

Max approaches Master Yarrow and volunteers for the job of color-bearer. He asks for permission to practice alone with the school flag on the field each morning. Surprised, Master Yarrow agrees.

In the days before the first rugby match, Max announces his new role at dinner. The Montagus are confused that he wants to be color-bearer but give permission for early morning practice. On the first morning, Max buys a 40-pound bag of birdseed from a shop on two consecutive mornings and carries each to the field at dawn.

At the field, Max unfurls the school’s large pink flag and walks the length of the pitch, scattering seed from beneath it. A few pigeons come to the field to feed.

On the day of the first rugby match, all the families attend, including the Montagu family. As the teams line up, Max performs his color-bearer duty and sprints along the sideline with the flag unfurled. A chaotic swarm of pigeons descends, covering the pitch. Officials cancel the game.

Later, at home, Uncle Ewen guesses what Max did and prompts Max to explain. Max admits he intended the disruption as retaliation against the way “the rugby boys treated the rest of us” (80). Mr. Montagu reacts with anger and sends Max from the room. As Max leaves, Ewen remarks to the family on the boy’s ingenuity.