I find it very hard to put into words
The brilliance and beauty of Tom Palmer’s writing
He has a way of getting to the heart of a story
He grabs you and puts you front and centre
You feel like you are with the characters
Seeing what they are seeing
Feeling what they are feeling
And I know that all good storytellers do this
But there is something different about Tom Palmer
I have learned so much from Tom’s
Historical fiction stories
He finds hidden stories waiting to be told
The depth and breadth of his research is incredible
He packs so much fact, fiction and feeling into every page
And makes them accessible for reluctant and less confident readers
I am so grateful that he is writing
While my children are reading
I think he will be one of the authors
They will all remember and reread when they are grown

Tom’s latest book Resist
Published by Barrington Stoke
Tells a tale of life under wartime occupation
The story is inspired by the childhood of
Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn

As a child I grew up in Germany
We lived close to the border of The Netherlands
And I visited Arnhem on a few occasions
Though I love war stories
And have read many books around the Second World War
I had not read about life for those Dutch people
Living under Nazi occupation
Who were not Jewish

This is the story that Tom tells in Resist
It is a heartbreaking story of family
A story of great courage and resilience
The story of a people who lived for years
Under the constant threat of arrest and enslavement
A people who nearly starved to death
Many of whom did die of hunger or sickness
Many were taken to work camps
Many lived in hiding in perilous conditions

So many war stories are so well known
And told over and over again
Some stories need to be shared
By respectful talented writers like Tom Palmer
Who care deeply for the people who people
They are writing about
And the people who will be reading every word that they right
There is a sense of duty I think
In writing historical fiction

And so we find ourselves with Audrey
Who uses the name Edda, to hide her English heritage
Edda is determined to to do anything that she can
To help the Dutch resistance fight back
Against their oppressors

Putting herself and her family at great risk
Edda undertakes dangerous missions for the resistance
She puts herself in danger time and again
For the good of others
To save the lives of others

Edda’s story is one of great courage and endurance
She lives in constant fear for her own life
And the lives of those she loves
She finds strength and hope
Through her love of music and dancing
Even when she becomes too weak to physically dance
She composes dance routines in her head

Edda, a young girl on a bicycle
Who loves music and dancing
Who loves to perform
Is a character many children will be able to relate to
This story shows that children past and present
Who live through the heartbreaking horror of war
Are just like them
Tom also finds ways throughout his story
That many of the soldiers
Fighting on both sides of the war
Were themselves children too
Something I think is often forgotten

When liberation comes at the very end of this story
I cried and cried and cried
For all the people had been through
And knowing what Audrey Hepburn went on to do with her life

This is an incredibly moving story
Brilliantly researched
Beautifully told
Young Edda will stay with me for a long time
I am already reading about Audrey Hepburn’s life
And looking to learn more about the Dutch resistance

We will be using this book
In November for our Remembrance project
We cannot wait to see the resources that Tom produces
To enhance children’s understanding of the story
And what life was like for Dutch people
Under Nazi occupation

If your young readers want to know more about Edda
They can start by reading about her in
Little People, Big Dreams Audrey Hepburn
From Quarto Kids

A perfect, poignant Book Match x