Postcards from No Man's Land - Hardcover

Chambers, Aidan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525468633 ISBN 13: 9780525468639

Publisher: Dutton Childrens Books, 2002

Synopsis

A powerful novel, told in dual narratives, takes readers on an unforgettable journey through history, as seventeen-year-old backpacker Jacob Todd travels through Amsterdam to honor his grandfather, a soldier who died in a nearby town in World War II, while in 1944, a teenage girl named Geertrui meets an English soldier named Jacob Todd, who must hide with her family.

About this title

Review:

Two craftily interwoven stories, separated by 50 years in time, make upthis emotionally and intellectually challenging novel. Set in Holland, one story tells of the passionate love between a young Dutch woman and Jacob Todd, a wounded English soldier: "I filled the glass and gave it to the soldier who had not yet spoken, who now said, 'Thanks, miss, you're an angel of mercy.' He had eyes that made me melt."

The other story finds the English soldier's grandson visiting Amsterdam for the commemoration of The Battle of Arnhem. Before he knows it, he's way out of his emotional depth: "His arrival yesterday had been embarrassing. His visit to the Anne Frank house had been upsetting. His confusion of boy for girl unnerved him. The mugging had left him duff." The learning curve is steep and readers can't help becoming thoroughly engrossed in the powerful emotions as well as being confronted with questions which simply don't have easy answers. This is a riveting, thought-provoking and thoroughly worthwhile read. (12 years and over). --Tamsin Palmer

Review:

"Sophisticated teenage readers yearning for a wider view of life may find themselves intoxicated by this Carnegie Medal-winning novel."

"Sophisticated teenage readers yearning for a wider view of life may find themselves intoxicated by this Carnegie Medal-winning novel." ("Publishers Weekly," starred review.
"Moving and multilayered . . . this novel is beautifully written, emotionally touching, and intellectually challenging." ("VOYA")

About this edition

• Publisher: Dutton Childrens Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0525468633
• ISBN 13: 9780525468639
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 312