Hanneke is doing her best to survive and take care of her parents in Amsterdam after the German occupation. It's 1943, and Hanneke is lucky to have a job working for an undertaker. She also has a secret job locating things on the black market for people who can pay for them.
When one of her customers reveals she has been hiding a Jewish girl in her pantry and that the girl has disappeared, Hanneke's life changes. She doesn't know where to begin to find out what happened to this girl who was wearing a blue coat, but she can't help but try. She ends up being unwillingly drawn into the Dutch Resistance and taking risks that she never believed she would take.
Girl in the Blue Coat is an easy, quick read. And it's historical fiction, my favorite, so I enjoyed the time I spent. I did learn about the role of the Dutch in Hitler's plans and how the people, especially the Jews, suffered under the occupation.
I just didn't really emotionally connect with Hanneke or her story. I found it informative, but not emotional. I can't say why, and other readers might have a totally different reaction. So I would still recommend Girl in the Blue Coat to my readers who want more Holocaust and WWII stories.
Published by Little, Brown BFYR, April 5, 2016
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
320 pages
Rating: 3.5/5
I am just preparing for book talks on historical fiction so this one caught my attention, though it sounds like I should keep looking.
ReplyDeletegood to see you liked the historical aspects. sad to see you didn't connect. I see its coming out on audio. I think I am going to go that route. Sometimes its easier for me to connect that way.
ReplyDeleteI just finished a WWII book last night so it's perfect that I saw your review this morning. I haven't read much about the Dutch and WWII so may pick this one up. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteInteresting. This one sounds like something I would like. Too bad you didn't connect with it more. I'm going to have to read it and see what I think. Thanks for the heads-up!
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