My take:
Interesting addition to literature about the Holocaust. Not quite as hard-hitting as some other graphic novels about this era, such as Auschwitz, but a worthy entry, nonetheless. The storytellling was quite engaging, particularly the ending, and the artwork reminded so much of Herge`s style from the Tintin books I read as a kid, which was interesting — although I`ve read some critics who think that the art style is not gritty enough for this topic. Overall, an enjoyable entry.
- Reading level: Ages 10 and up
- Hardcover: 64 pages
- Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (October 13, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0374322716
- ISBN-13: 978-0374322717
Publisher’s Summary:
While searching his grandmother’s attic for likely items to sell at a yard sale, Jeroen finds a photo album that brings back hard memories for his grandmother, Helena. Helena tells Jeroen for the first time about her experiences during the German occupation of the Netherlands during the Second World War, and mourns the loss of her Jewish best friend, Esther. Helena believes that her own father, a policeman and Nazi sympathizer, delivered Esther to the Nazis and that she died in a concentration camp. But after hearing her story, Jeroen makes a discovery and Helena realizes that her father kept an important secret from her.
Review:
“… a solid read and a good introduction to a far deeper story.” — Read more at Graphic Novel Reporter
