The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

          The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse is an extremely captivating book that mixes historical fiction with a hint of mystery. The book begins in January of 1943 in Amsterdam, after the Nazis invaded. The main character, Hanneke Bakker, is a tall eighteen year old girl with blonde hair and green, angry eyes. Hanneke hates the Nazis, especially because the boy she loved, Bas, died fighting against them two years before. Hanneke is a black market worker who illegally finds extra rations of food or rare things like cigarettes or real coffee for wealthy people who are willing to pay. Hanneke does this work on top of a secretary job because both her parents are unable to work. One day, a widow named Mrs. Janssen asks Hanneke to find something much more difficult than stroopwafels or bacon, she asks her to find a person. For a few days Mrs. Janssen had been helping hide a young Jewish girl named Mirjam who ran away after her family was shot and killed. One day, the young girl disappeared from her hiding spot with no rational way out as Mrs. Janssen was there the entire time. Hanneke is intrigued by the mystery but resists because she does not want to get her family into trouble.

            Hanneke changes her mind, however, because she knows Bas would have helped Mrs. Janssen. When Hanneke begins investigating, she goes to Mirjam’s school and meets a Jewish teacher named Judith who immediately suspects Hanneke of something. When Judith tells her friend Ollie about the encounter, he immediately knows it was Hanneke. Hanneke is surprised when Ollie, Bas’ older brother shows up at her apartment asking why she is looking for Mirjam. When Hanneke assures him she is only trying to help, he offers to let her talk with Judith and other people from the school if she joins him going to a get together with some friends. Before she knows it, Hanneke becomes involved in an anti-Nazi group which seriously endangers her and her family. On the other hand, Hanneke begins to solve the mystery of Mirjam. The only problem is that if Hanneke does not find Mirjam quick enough, she could be caught and taken to a camp which Hanneke would not be able to save her from.

            I really enjoyed this book and thought it was educational about the time period, while also containing an interesting mystery. I really liked that readers can be a part of the mystery and guess what happens throughout subtle clues in the book. The ending was really exciting and had a surprising twist. I also learned a lot more about the anti-Nazi underground operations that occurred during this time. The best part about this book was probably learning throughout the book why Hanneke believes she is responsible for the death of Bas, and why his death also led to the ending of her relationship with her best friend. It was heartbreaking and unpredictable, and almost a tiny mystery as well because we only get bits and pieces that are only put together towards the end of the book. I also loved seeing the new relationships form throughout the book because she seems pretty heartbroken and lonely at the start.

            I really do not have much to complain about in the book. I feel like the events are kind of unrealistic because they are so crazy, but at the same time I can kind of see that these were unpredictable times and people did crazy things for their own and their family’s survival. Overall, this is a really intriguing book that anyone who enjoys historical fiction or mystery should definitely try reading. I liked it so much that I have already read another of Monica Hesse’s books!