Truly unique--this Holocaust story is set in Oslo, Norway, and told from the perspective of Jewish teenager Ilse Stern. After a blossoming summer romance with her neighbor, Hermann, Ilse can’t wait to see what autumn has in store. What Ilse doesn’t know is that Hermann’s secrets--and his work as part of the Nazi resistance--could keep them apart or bring them dangerously close together. As the German occupation makes life more difficult for Ilse’s shop owner father and their family, urgent decisions must be made: Should they stay or go? Do they start a new life and risk leaving behind everything they’ve ever known? The dramatic conclusion to this novel will keep you thinking and feeling for the characters long after finishing the book. I recommend this book to fans of Ruta Sepetys’ Between Shades of Gray, historical fiction, Holocaust stories, and people of Norwegian or Jewish heritage.
