This World War II mystery set in the occupied Netherlands demonstrates the horrors of the Holocaust.
Recommended grade level: 7-11
Pages: 309 (for ISBN 9780316260602)
Genre(s) and keywords: historical fiction, mystery, international, Europe (the Netherlands)
Tone/Style: bleak, fearful, desperate
Pace: moderate
Topics: the Holocaust, World War II, the Netherlands, investigations, missing persons
Themes: resistance against oppression, grief and loss, selfishness, risks
Summary: Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering sought-after black market goods to paying customers, her nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents, and every waking moment mourning her boyfriend, who was killed on the Dutch front lines when the Germans invaded. She likes to think of her illegal work as a small act of rebellion. Continue reading