Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (war violence, execution of resistance members, blood in graphics)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
When Annick's Dutch grandmother needs a bone marrow transplant, and discovers she is not a blood relative of her siblings, Annick begins a search of her grandmother's history to discover what happened to her in German occupied Amsterdam during WWII. Told from 2011 and 1941, we see the answers to Annick's research as events unfold during the war. In 1941, artists and art not approved by the Nazis was forbidden, but Emma, who likes to draw was introduced to the underground art community by a friend, as well as learned how she could help the Resistance from a teacher at her school - smuggling forged paperwork produced by her artist friends and helping foster Jewish babies who have been saved from deportation with their parents. Annick discovers that one of these babies may have been her Oma, and that Oma has a brother.
A well written, well documented account of the resistance movement in Amsterdam during the war. I especially loved that many of the graphic illustrations were superimposed onto photographs taken by the Resistance. I was especially impressed by the end notes, telling about who the characters were based on the stories behind the events that happened in the book. The Bank Heist was my favorite. As I began reading, I noticed that Song of a Blackbird takes place at the same time and in the same place as Artifice by Sharon Cameron. It had some overlap which was fun. The characters are Dutch
Lisa Librarian
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