MIDDLE GRADE HISTORICAL FICTION : Rescue by Jennifer A. Nielsen
ABOUT THE BOOK
Six hundred and
fifty-seven days ago, Meg Kenyon's father left their home in France to
fight for the Allies in World War II, and that was the last time Meg saw
him. Recently, she heard he was being held prisoner by the Nazis, a
terrible sentence from which Meg fears he'll never return. All she has
left of him are the codes he placed in a jar for her to decipher, an
affectionate game the two of them shared. But the codes are running low,
and soon there'll be nothing left of Papa for Meg to hold on to at all.
Suddenly, an impossible chance to save her father falls into Meg's lap. After following a trail of blood in the snow, Meggie finds an injured British spy hiding in her grandmother's barn. Captain Stewart tells her that a family of German refugees must be guided across Nazi-occupied France to neutral Spain, whereupon one of them has promised to free Meg's father. Captain Stewart was meant to take that family on their journey, but too injured to complete the task himself, he offers it to Meg, along with a final code from Papa to help complete the mission -- perhaps the most important, and most difficult, riddle she's received yet.
As the Nazis flood Meg's village in fierce pursuit, she accepts the duty and begins the trek across France. Leading strangers through treacherous territory, Meg faces danger and uncertainty at every turn, all the while struggling to crack her father's code. The message, as she unravels it, reveals secrets costly enough to risk the mission and even her own life. Can Meg solve the puzzle, rescue the family, and save her father?
Suddenly, an impossible chance to save her father falls into Meg's lap. After following a trail of blood in the snow, Meggie finds an injured British spy hiding in her grandmother's barn. Captain Stewart tells her that a family of German refugees must be guided across Nazi-occupied France to neutral Spain, whereupon one of them has promised to free Meg's father. Captain Stewart was meant to take that family on their journey, but too injured to complete the task himself, he offers it to Meg, along with a final code from Papa to help complete the mission -- perhaps the most important, and most difficult, riddle she's received yet.
As the Nazis flood Meg's village in fierce pursuit, she accepts the duty and begins the trek across France. Leading strangers through treacherous territory, Meg faces danger and uncertainty at every turn, all the while struggling to crack her father's code. The message, as she unravels it, reveals secrets costly enough to risk the mission and even her own life. Can Meg solve the puzzle, rescue the family, and save her father?
REVIEW
Jennifer A. Nielsen is one of my favorite authors. Because of that I always eagerly anticipate any new book that she publishes. I've never been disappointed and I wasn't disappointed by this one. This tale of intrigue takes place during World War II in Occupied France.
Meg hasn't seen her father in almost two years. As France was being invaded by the Germans, her father left to fight for the Allies. Meg and her mother live with her grandmother, doing their best to survive on what they can produce on the farm and the proceeds from what they can sell on the black market. While waiting for her father's return, Meg works on solving the codes he left for her. Now she is down to one final code, but there is no sign of her father's return. Meg is also working for the resistance. Returning from town one day with a message for the resistance, Meg discovers a British spy in the barn, injured.
A message from the spy sends Meg off on a mission that may be her father's only hope of escaping the Nazis. Meg must help a family of German refugees make their way to Spain. Once they get there, the man will provide what's needed to help her father. With a bag of supplies hidden by Captain Stewart (the spy), and a code from her father delivered by the captain, Meg sets off to complete the mission. But things go wrong from the beginning and Meg wonders if she'll be able to accomplish her task. And despite her years of working codes with her father, she struggles to figure this one out, despite its importance. Can she find a way to get the family to safety and save her father or is she doomed to failure?
Nielsen has written another fabulous historical fiction book that is both action-packed yet filled with interesting historical details. World War II is a popular time period to write about, but Nielsen has written a book that feel fresh and takes a look at a different side of the war. Meg and her companions make for interesting characters who have depth. They are complex with strengths and weaknesses and it leads to various conflicts as the journey progresses. Multiple close calls keep the tension in the story tight with the reader wondering how the characters will possibly get out of the mess they are in. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and look forward to many more good ones from Jennifer Nielsen.
I'm reviewing this book this week too. Jennifer Nielsen is also one of my favorite authors. She's so talented. I really found Rescue to be a page turner. I can't wait to see what Jennifer comes up with next.
ReplyDelete