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Based on Ann’s review of The Girl in the Blue Coat, I went to Monica Hesse’s website and not only found the titles of her two earlier books (noted above), but also important articles written by her for the Washington Post. She doesn’t want to get involved. Hanneke combines insecurity with flirtatious self-assuredness, timidity with boldness, a wistfulness tempered with realism. What might any one of us do in wartime? Ollie does his best to protect Hanneke as well as his close friends of Resistance workers. It’s a great book. This is the ideal book for a parent-child read-along, an extracurricular book club, summer school reading, or simply the pleasure of a book that entertains, expands your horizons, and teaches you all at once. All the while, Hanneke is hesitant. The “Girl in the Blue Coat” is a perfect book for a classroom book study of the Holocaust, and also life in occupied countries during WWII. Ignore? GIRL IN THE BLUE COAT is set in German-occupied 1943 Amsterdam, where "Aryan poster girl" Hanneke secretly smuggles goods on behalf of her undertaker boss. They include literary studies such as The New West of Edward Abby and Reader of the Purple Sage, cultural studies such as GhostWest and Oh, Give Me a Home, and nature writing such as Earthtones: A Nevada Album. – Ann Ronald. Careful and cautious, Hanneke goes out of her way not to know too much about her contacts and her clients, ignoring the particulars about what is happening to the Jewish residents of Holland in 1943. It also depicts how people make unthinkable decisions during war and how it's those circumstances that reveal a person's true nature, whether you know it or not. In some ways, I suppose, this novel casts the two sisters of Kirsten Hannah’s, , a novel of occupied France that I recently reviewed for Bookin’ with Sunny, in a single persona. Infrequently, adults drink or smoke cigarettes. Readers will feel compelled to keep going, as Hannie digs herself deeper into the dangerous waters of resistance work, discovering exactly what's happening at Amsterdam's legendary Schouwburg Theater, which imprisons Dutch Jews awaiting deportation. – Ann Ronald, I went to Monica Hesse’s website and not only found the titles of her two earlier books (noted above), but also important articles written by her for the, . Families can talk about the violence in the book. When asked to help locate a missing girl, a girl in a blue coat, a diffident Hanneke hems and haws. Hanneke combines insecurity with flirtatious self-assuredness, timidity with boldness, a wistfulness tempered with realism. Cooperate? Girl in the Blue Coat was a novel that kept me guessing, had me on the edge of my seat, and invested me in the plot. How are they brave, kind, generous, and so on? GIRL IN THE BLUE COAT is set in German-occupied 1943 Amsterdam, where "Aryan poster girl" Hanneke secretly smuggles goods on behalf of her undertaker boss. When her best friend falls in love with a German soldier, a horrified Hanneke severs their friendship. negated my assumptions and turned my expectations upside down. Wrong! Hesse truly gets inside Hanneke’s head, developing a character who moves from self-imposed innocence toward a much more mature self-knowledge. The language is artful without being flowery, and the plot is layered without being convoluted. Although Hanneke disagrees with the Nazi Regime, will she risk her life to save another? approaches World War II and the holocaust from a different angle than many WWII novels that I have read. There's a brief mention of a forbidden gay relationship and a politically scandalous marriage between a Dutch young woman and a Nazi officer. – Sunny Solomon, The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between. Parents and caregivers: Set limits for violence and more with Plus. Wrong! Both the narrative line and the thematic import reach a climax in the scene that ends on page 239. Hanneke's role in the Resistance shows how even teens and individuals can make a huge difference to a collective effort and that some ideas and causes are worth sacrificing your safety to uphold. Ann Rinaldi Booklist Ann Rinaldi Message Board. Parents need to know that Girl in the Blue Coat is a debut historical novel written by Washington Post writer Monica Hesse. All rights reserved. Click on the button given below to download Girl in the Blue Coat PDF free. And I certainly couldn’t envisage what occurs in the final sixty pages of Hesse’s very astute novel. Rather, she is a normal young woman caught horrifically in abnormal times. Readers will learn about the German occupation of Holland, the ill-fated Dutch war against the overwhelming power of the Germans, the laws that make anyone with means turn to the black market, the student resistance movement, and the fate of the Dutch Jews who were housed and deported from a famous Amsterdam theater. Nothing! The book illustrates the difference between moral laws and immoral laws and how it's sometimes necessary to break immoral laws to initiate change. All rights reserved. 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. In the story, a young girl works on the black market to provide items to her town’s people and learns that even in war life still happens. Heartbreaking WWII novel shows power of hope, connection. However, she most definitely is not a split personality. Girl in the Blue Coat approaches World War II and the holocaust from a different angle than many WWII novels that I have read. Both the narrative line and the thematic import reach a climax in the scene that ends on page 239. You’ll get email updates from Bookin’ with Sunny when we add a new review or blog post, and we never share your email with anyone else. A Girl in Blue Book Summary and Study Guide. Girl in the Blue Coat approaches World War II and the holocaust from a different angle than many WWII novels that I have read. A few characters are killed by Nazi gunfire, and hundreds of people are deported presumably to their deaths. Impeccably researched and beautifully written, this unforgettable World War II novel about a young Dutch smuggler's life-changing decision to find a missing Jewish girl is poignant and fascinating. Since 2011, the very best in reviewing – connecting good readers with equally good writers. What does the book teach you about World War II? Learn how your comment data is processed. Haunted by memories of her boyfriend Bas, who died three years earlier fighting the Germans, Hanneke considers flirting with local Nazi enlisted men to conduct her black market deliveries -- her way of undermining the enemy. An easy book, intricately plotted, and lovely story about friendship, young love and acts of bravery during the war. Hanneke is outspoken and brave, and while she's confused about her role in the Resistance, she feels compelled to save a life despite not knowing the girl. Her latest is a work of fiction, Friendly Fallout 1953. This book was definitely the highlight of my summer reads! What to Watch, Read, and Play While Your Kids Are Stuck Indoors, Common Sense Selections for family entertainment, Stoke kids' love of reading with great summer stories, Teachers: Find the best edtech tools for your classroom with in-depth expert reviews, 6 formas de usar los medios para que los niños mantengan el español, Wide Open School: recursos para el aprendizaje a distancia, Which Side of History? Hanneke is a Dutch girl performing small, illegal trades during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. People who might seem selfish are actually secret members of the underground Resistance. It starts with a girl who lives on a farm near a small village in Michigan in the 1860s. Perfect for fans of Ruta Sepetys’s wonderfully researched young adult historical fiction novels and THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK. However, she most definitely is not a split personality. Occasional strong language in italicized Dutch. Or can she? That angle is the angst of a young woman coming of age, a young woman unsure of her loyalties and her allegiances. Some adults smoke, and Hanneke recalls smoking cigarettes. Detailed plot synopsis reviews of A Girl in Blue; The year is 1861 in this story. But when one of her customers, Mrs. Janssen, asks her not for coffee, cigarettes, or nylons but to help her find Mirjam, a missing Jewish 15-year-old girl (with the titular blue coat) who had been hiding in her house's secret cupboard, Hanneke has to consider whether she's up to the task. Hanneke goes through many stages, one step at a time, just as a college-age girl might experience the defining moments of her generation. How Technology Is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives, Participate in DigCit Week with your kid by using curated activities from Wide Open School, Online Playdates, Game Nights, and Other Ways to Socialize at a Distance, Keeping Kids Motivated for Online Learning, Set limits for violence and more with Plus. The star rating reflects overall quality. Bas is a loving and funny boyfriend who feels it's his duty to fight the Germans even though he's scared to do so. In her room, she looks over Mirjam’s belongings, and finds a note folded in the shape of a star. Her boyfriend joins the Dutch army, her fretful parents turn blind eyes to their daughter’s odd comings and goings, a circle of new friends embroils her in intrigue. The “Girl in the Blue Coat” is a wonderfully written story about a young woman in the Netherlands. Hanneke’s job is to acquire black market goods wherever and however she can, then connect those rations with eager customers. Everything that would follow, I assumed, would be overkill, would belabor the obvious. Although there are definitely painful and disturbing passages, the author's prose is crisp and accessible to younger readers. And rightly so, because Hesse wants her readers to understand that nothing in a time of war is as it appears. © Bookin' with Sunny. Everything that would follow, I assumed, would be overkill, would belabor the obvious. Her story, her search for the Girl in the Blue Coat, is all too plausible, and her post-adolescent/young adulthood hesitations are all too believable, too. Join now. Monica Hesse is the author of this book. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. When I reached page 239 of Monica Hesse’s 301 page novel, , I thought to myself that the story should have ended there. Is historically accurate violence different from completely fictional violence? She illegally delivers black-market goods to wealthy citizens across Amsterdam, her hometown. A couple of passionate kisses that are recollections; another two kisses -- one to fake out the Germans and another that's cut off quickly. 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. ‘Girl in the Blue Coat’ book review. Lots of tense and upsetting references to the deportations, concentration camps, and the fact that Nazis can immediately shoot to kill people for breaking certain laws (no arrests or courts necessary). On a routine delivery, a client asks Hanneke for help. Or can she? When members of the Resistance ask for her help, she cannot commit. When asked to help locate a missing girl, a girl in a blue coat, a diffident Hanneke hems and haws. Since retiring, she’s been reading vociferously, so “Bookin’ With Sunny” is giving her a wonderful opportunity to share thoughts about her favorite new discoveries. And I certainly couldn’t envisage what occurs in the final sixty pages of Hesse’s very astute novel. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. Even adult readers will learn a great deal about the Dutch role in the war as an occupied country with a mostly Aryan populace the Nazis felt could be assimilated into German culture. I couldn’t predict what choices she might make. The plot is unputdownable: a mix of emotional coming-of-age revelations plus the intense realities and horrors of WWII and the riveting central mystery of what happened to Mirjam.

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