Set in Holland during the Second World War and also modern day Britain, the book follows Liv who has been tasked with a school history project to discover her family tree. With a small family, and her grandmother closed off after the death of her grandfather, Liv thinks this is going to be an impossible task, but the discovery of a box hidden in her grandmother's attic opens up a whole new world. Through the contents of the box, Liv is transported back to 1942 Holland where Mila and her sister Hannie are forced to leave their family home and their parents in order to live with strangers; their identities and their Jewish background are kept strictly secret to protect them from the Nazis. However, as the story unfolds, Hannie finds it increasingly difficult to simply sit and watch what is happening to other Jewish children and is determined to do all she can to help. But do she and Mila know who they can trust and can they stay safe?
I have a real weakness for books set during WWII but I don't think I've read many that are set in Holland. I'm well aware of the plight of Anne Frank and her family, as well as the brave resistance fighters who helped them, but this gave me a different perspective on life for Jewish families at this time. The idea of parents deciding to entrust their children to strangers to save them broke my heart and I admired Mila and Hannie's parents' strength immensely; also that of the Van de Bergs who take them in. There were so many acts of bravery like this during the war and I always feel that it's important that they aren't forgotten.
Although Mila and Hannie are sisters, they are clearly two very different characters, both very strong in their own way but different in how they deal with things. I don't want to say any more so as to avoid spoilers but they are characters I won't forget in a while.
Then there is Liv. Living in Britain today, she is dealing with several big things in her life: she is still coming to terms with the death of her grandfather and is also coping with changes in friendships. Friendships often change as children progress through school but I really felt for her. The discovery of the box and the subsequent investigations into its contents come at just the right time for Liv.
Told in the third person, Code Name Kingfisher flits between Liv's story and that of Mila and Hannie, creating a tension that makes you want to read 'just one more chapter'. I found myself very quickly absorbed and fully invested in the lives of all three girls and shed tears on more than one occasion (goodness knows what the person beside me on the plane thought!).
Full of hope, courage, friendship and family ties, Code Name Kingfisher is a book that will draw you in and capture your heart. It will remind you that bravery can be found in the most unlikely of places and that you should never give up hope.
Pushing on the 14th September, Code Name Kingfisher is a must-read book this autumn.
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