Nilam Agrawal

I enjoyed reading the book ‘Girl in the Blue Coat’ by Monica Hesse. The author does a great job in setting the imagery, narrating the story, and building the character. She makes you live those experiences as if you are watching it happen in front of your eyes. The book is a captivating journey of a teenage girl named Hanneke, a Dutch girl who lives in Amsterdam during WWII and is processing the grief of her boyfriend’s death. Hanneke works in the black market to make money to support her family during the war. During one of these deliveries to one of her clients, she was set on an epic mystery of finding a 15 year old Jewish girl, who her client was hiding from the Nazis, and who has now mysteriously disappeared. This missing girl was wearing a blue coat. Through her journey, Hanneke experiences different emotions. As the story unfolds, she learns to process her grief, gain courage, and learn the importance of standing up for injustice. If you enjoy historical fictions and mysteries, you will enjoy this book. My only closing remark is that I wish the conclusion could have been stronger and the author would have provided other characters’ perspective in more detail.