Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

“My heart will still ache sometimes. Maybe more often than not. I think it's possible to be healed without feeling whole."

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This beautifully written novel by Monica Hesse is about a Dutch girl who has moments in peril, but remains resolute throughout during a dark time in WWII.

Hanneke regularly delivers black market goods to customers, and thinks of it as a small rebellion. However, she hides this illegal work from her parents. Meanwhile, she also mourns over her boyfriend who was killed on the Dutch front lines.

One afternoon when Hanneke visits Ms. Jansen, she is expecting to hear that she wants kerosene. However, she is startled by the news that Ms. Jansen requests of her: she wants her to find a Jewish teenager that she has been secretly hiding in her house. Initially, Hanneke didn’t wish to fulfill the task, but she was ultimately drawn into the mystery. 

This award-winning historical fiction novel is recommended for fans of The Book Thief, Salt to the Sea, and Between Shades of Grey.      

“A beautiful combination of heartbreak, loss, young love, and hope.” -Kristin Hannah, #1 bestselling author of The Nightingale

Review by Caitlyn, 2024

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