I loved this book. I don't often start by saying that, but I loved this book. I'm not sure why I pulled it off the shelf at the library initially; a single word title that didn't mean anything to me wasn't exactly captivating. However, the cover revealed the rest of the title, and espionage, passion, and betrayal sound more than interesting. Receiving a Carnegie Medal is nothing to scoff at either, so what the hey, right? I'm so glad I randomly pulled this one because, especially as it was written in 2005, it's set in a time that's near and dear to my historical side---The Netherlands in 1945 during the Hunger Winter.
As an undergrad, the research for my senior history thesis focused on the Dutch underground resistance movement and the Hunger Winter during the latter part of the war. Tamar studies the same, except more is mentioned of the British/SOE's involvement with said resistance. Tamar and Dart are Dutch spies working to help unify the different underground groups. Not much is said about Tamar and Dart's personal lives; it almost seems they have no pasts of which to speak--perhaps this is due to their spy personae. Readers do know that Tamar has been to the area before, and is in love with Marijke, a young lady living with her grandmother on her farm. However, though readers may know about Marijke and Tamar's affair, other characters in the story do not.
Skip to 1995 (as the story jumps between '45 and '95). Here is another Tamar; a granddaughter growing up with her mother, grandmother, and grandfather after her father's disappearance. Not long after her grandmother, Marijke, is sent to live in a nursing home, her grandfather kills himself. He has left Tamar a box of clues--old money, a crossword puzzle, and a map dotted with Xs along the Tamar River--prior to his passing. Tamar and her cousin, Yoyo, travel the British countryside to unravel the mystery her grandfather has left behind.
Back in the '40s, and the war rages on, much to the Allies' efforts. Resisters are edgy, and some go to terrible lengths, resulting in deaths of many innocent men. Dart is counting down how many days he has left as a WO--they don't have a long shelf life. He finds himself visiting the farm more often to see Marijke, and he grows infatuated with her. This may or may not have been aided by the number of pills he has been taking in order to stay awake awaiting codes. Dart, impersonating a doctor, has a number of close encounters with the Nazis, and sleep has been evading him.
It is not until the end of the book, when in 1995 Tamar has reached the end of her journey, and in 1945, Tamar has reached his, that the stories fit together. Peet has created a novel that bases its entire plot on the readers' making an assumption (one I made, honestly), and then revealing the truth at the end. It's not often that I'm taken by surprise like I was during this book, but I'm definitely not complaining. I love it when a YA book is written so well.
I'm not 100% sure it's accurately targeted as a YA novel (though I get it--one of the characters is 15 years old), but if teens are going to read it, I'd encourage them to be older. Some of the deaths in the book are graphic, not in a William Wallace, "FREEDOM!!" kind of way, but in a sad-so-many-innocent-lives-were-lost kind of way. I don't think that younger teens can fully appreciate/understand the mentality of those who had to contemplate everything to survive. I will readily admit that I did not do this book justice in this post, but I didn't want to give anything away! If you like war stories, and you want something with a twist, this is a top recommendation from me.
Target Age Range: older teens - adults
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