Hunger Winter

Currie, Rob. Hunger Winter
March 3rd 2020 by Tyndale House Publishers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Dirk and his family live in Holland, but the war has been cruel. His mother has passed away, his father ( the leader of the Resistance) has been taken by the Nazis, and his older sister Els has just been captured as well. He is responsible for his younger sister, Anna, so when there is news that the Nazis are coming after the two of them as well, they take off to their aunt and uncle's house. Their aunt takes care of them the best she can, since food is almost nonexistent, but the children are soon picked up and taken to a work camp where conditions are very hard. An officer tells Dirk he has a friend who is willing to adopt Anna, so Dirk knows he must leave. He has an opportunity when the factory where they are working is bombed. The siblings seek safety at a farmhouse, and the older couple takes them in, but there is also a German officer, Fleischer, who claims to be on their side. When other Germans arrive in the area, he confines the children in the basement. Dirk realizes that Fleischer needs to escape too, and talks him into driving him and Anna to the Americans. Fleischer surrenders, and the US soldiers take the children to their grandparents. As the war winds down, will Dirk and Anna be able to find their father and sister?
Strengths: This had just about everything I want in a WWII novel. Just enough soldiers and fighting, details about civilian life, Nazis who aren't completely evil (I had a friend who fought in the Wehrmacht against his will. It was fight or die.), and lots of action and suspense. It was a fantastic length, and easy for my struggling readers to understand. The best part was that it started strong and never got boring. The cover is also very appealing, and I don't have a lot on the Dutch during the war. The notes at the end were very helpful as well.
Weaknesses: It seemed a little unrealistic that Dirk would be reunited with both his father and sister, but that also makes this a good choice to hand to overly sensitive souls who struggle with the Holocaust unit.
What I really think: I will definitely purchase a copy; two if some of my WWII books get lost!