The Girl in the Blue Coat
Author: Monica Hesse
Published: April 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book description (from Good Reads): 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.
On a routine delivery, a client asks Hanneke for help. Expecting to hear that Mrs. Janssen wants meat or kerosene, Hanneke is shocked by the older woman's frantic plea to find a person - a Jewish teenager Mrs. Janssen had been hiding, who has vanished without a trace from a secret room. Hanneke initially wants nothing to do with such dangerous work, but is ultimately drawn into a web of mysteries and stunning revelations that lead her into the heart of the resistance, open her eyes to the horrors of the Nazi war machine, and compel her to take desperate action.
Thoughts:
The story was a bit hard to get into. Initially, Hanneke was not very appealing, she seemed too aloof, to uncaring for anything other than herself and her interests.
It is a slow starting story, but it gives a very interesting view showing how the people were coping with the Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. It showed a very good example of everyday life for them, showing their disbelief of actual danger, then the consequences of being too unprepared, the adaptation of the population to rations and their little ways they made by or tried to fool their oppressors.
There are a few other remarkable characters, Mina, Ollie, Will, and their group of friends who pass from being a group of students to helping the resistance in their city.
Totally worth reading, this is mainly a character-driven story, and even if you do not like the main character as much you still get a lot of other remarkable people here. We have a bit of everything, there is: the typical teenage romance, because even in times of war there is always space for romance, for unrequited love, to love people regardless of opposition ( specific case of Hannekes best friend), friendships falling apart, family trouble, treason, unforeseen consequences of your actions, mystery and the dread of fighting time trying to find the girl before the authorities do.
Unfortunately, there was something missing from this book. I was unable to connect very well to Hanneke and the ending was something I did not find particularly believable, we already had a great story and them bam, it was completely changed and not for the best. It felt too convenient; only the very end, the very last revelation about the girl in the blue coat.
Published: April 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book description (from Good Reads): 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.
On a routine delivery, a client asks Hanneke for help. Expecting to hear that Mrs. Janssen wants meat or kerosene, Hanneke is shocked by the older woman's frantic plea to find a person - a Jewish teenager Mrs. Janssen had been hiding, who has vanished without a trace from a secret room. Hanneke initially wants nothing to do with such dangerous work, but is ultimately drawn into a web of mysteries and stunning revelations that lead her into the heart of the resistance, open her eyes to the horrors of the Nazi war machine, and compel her to take desperate action.
Thoughts:
The story was a bit hard to get into. Initially, Hanneke was not very appealing, she seemed too aloof, to uncaring for anything other than herself and her interests.
It is a slow starting story, but it gives a very interesting view showing how the people were coping with the Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. It showed a very good example of everyday life for them, showing their disbelief of actual danger, then the consequences of being too unprepared, the adaptation of the population to rations and their little ways they made by or tried to fool their oppressors.
There are a few other remarkable characters, Mina, Ollie, Will, and their group of friends who pass from being a group of students to helping the resistance in their city.
Totally worth reading, this is mainly a character-driven story, and even if you do not like the main character as much you still get a lot of other remarkable people here. We have a bit of everything, there is: the typical teenage romance, because even in times of war there is always space for romance, for unrequited love, to love people regardless of opposition ( specific case of Hannekes best friend), friendships falling apart, family trouble, treason, unforeseen consequences of your actions, mystery and the dread of fighting time trying to find the girl before the authorities do.
Unfortunately, there was something missing from this book. I was unable to connect very well to Hanneke and the ending was something I did not find particularly believable, we already had a great story and them bam, it was completely changed and not for the best. It felt too convenient; only the very end, the very last revelation about the girl in the blue coat.
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