The Outsiders of Uskoken Castle facts for kids
Dust jacket for the 1967 edition
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| Author | Kurt Kläber |
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| Original title | Rote Zora und ihre Bande |
| Translator | Lynn Aubry |
| Cover artist | Emanuel Schongut |
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Publication date
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1941 |
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Published in English
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1967 |
| Pages | 353 pp |
| OCLC | 1170405 |
The Outsiders of Uskoken Castle is an exciting adventure book for kids. It was written by Kurt Kläber from Germany. The original German title was Rote Zora und ihre Bande, which means Red Zora and her gang. It first came out in 1941. Later, in 1967, Lynn Aubry translated it into English, and Doubleday published it.
The book tells the story of Zora and her group of friends. They live in the old ruins of an Uskok castle in Croatia, right by the sea. These kids don't have families, so they have to find ways to survive. They often get into arguments with the people in the town. They don't like being told what to do by adults. But there is one exception: Gorian, an old fisherman. He is kind to the children and helps them. When Gorian needs help, the children always return his kindness.
About the Author
The German author, Kurt Kläber, lived in Switzerland. He used a different name, a pseudonym, when he wrote this book. He did this to stay safe from political trouble in his home country.
The Real Story Behind the Book
Kurt Kläber visited Yugoslavia in 1940. There, he met real children like Branko and Zora. The book is based on his experiences with these kids. They were orphans living in the Croatian city of Senj. In Senj, there is a real castle called Nehaj Fortress.
Just like in the story, the first child Kläber met was Branko. Branko had recently lost his parents. Zora told Branko that the police were looking for him because he had taken some food. That's how Kläber met Zora. He wanted to take Branko and Zora back to Switzerland. However, he was a refugee himself, so he couldn't. Instead, he wrote this children's story. He hoped it would show people the challenges faced by children who didn't have homes or families in Europe. Zora became the main character because Kläber was very impressed by her. She organized the children into a group and taught them to stick together. The boys in the group accepted her as their leader.
What Does the Title Mean?
The German title Rote Zora... means "Red Zora." This refers to Zora's bright red hair. The word Uskoken in the English title comes from the Uskoks. They were a group of pirates from the 16th century who lived in Senj.
Story Summary
The book shares the adventures of the children. They live by their own rules and often clash with the townspeople. The story starts by introducing some of the kids. Branko's father was a traveling musician. Branko used to live with his mother, who worked in a tobacco factory. But his mother passed away, leaving Branko without a home.
One day, Branko finds a fish at the market. He picks it up, and gets into trouble for taking it. Zora helps him escape from the prison window. She takes him to the old castle, which is the gang's secret home. After Branko proves he is brave, he is welcomed into the group. Other members include Nicola, Pavle, and Duro.
The people in the city often treat the children badly. In return, the kids play tricks on them. In one part of the story, the gang takes a chicken from an old fisherman named Gorian. Gorian is honest, poor, and works very hard. Branko and Zora feel bad for him. They try to give him chickens they took from a rich man named Karaman. Gorian catches them and tells them to return the stolen chickens. The children then promise to help Gorian by working for him when he needs extra hands. They also help him when he has problems with a big fishing company.
