80. Rescue

Rescue. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2021. [March] 400 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Papa stood at the gate by the road and waved goodbye. He wanted me to wave back at him, but I didn't.

Premise/plot: Rescue is set in France during the Second World War. The book opens with a prologue in 1940 (May). Chapter one places us nearly two years later--February 1942. The heroine, Meg Kenyon, is eager to do her part to resist the Nazis in their occupation. (Part of that involves selling food on the black market.) Her father taught her a bit here and there about codes--writing, deciphering. When she discovers a British soldier--injured--hiding in the family's barn, well, things escalate quickly. When the Nazis' search party leads them to the Kenyon farm, well, Meg may be on the run for her life...and she won't be traveling alone.

My thoughts: I really found this a compelling read. I love historical fiction. I love the World War II setting. This one offers action, adventure, and mystery. As Meg leads Liesel, Albert, and Jakob to what they hope is safety...well, things stay exciting. Their very survival may depend on her correctly deciphering her father's last message to her.

Yet I do still feel confident that this is a character-driven book (despite all the action and the life-death nature of it all). Meg is a young, intelligent, brave heroine that I just loved spending time with.

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews