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Tommy Mooney Mystery #1
Telegram For Mrs. Mooney
THROUGH THE HAZE OF WAR COMES AN UNEXPECTED HERO.
On the same day that France surrenders to the Nazis, Jack Mooney--a New Yorker, barely out of high school--hitches a ride to Montreal, where he enlists as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force. The last thing he says to his little brother before leaving home is, "Don't forget me, kid."
Two years later a telegram arrives: Jack, now a Spitfire pilot flying for the Royal Air Force, is missing in action somewhere in German-occupied Europe.
With only the telegram to guide him, 12-year-old Tommy Mooney arms himself to the hilt: with a sling-shot, a boomerang, a bow and arrow set, and an indomitable sense of youthful optimism. Mounting his Schwinn bicycle, he heads for the Brooklyn Harbor, setting a course for London, England, where he plans to recruit Jack's British fiancée before continuing on to Nazi-occupied Belgium.
Thus begins a journey that one reader calls, "A rattling, high concept, wartime adventure--with a wonderfully quirky and incredibly brave hero-narrator."
Soon enough, hope turns to foreboding--as it begins to look as though Tommy is being deceived by the Gestapo, used in a plot to expose a Resistance network created to help downed airmen. "Bravery," he realizes, "is like teeth plaque. It takes time to build up."
Hearkening back to the Hitchcock film, Saboteur, and the WWII era mysteries of Eric Ambler and Helen MacInnis, Telegram For Mrs. Mooney will introduce you to a truly likable, sometimes irascible, archetypal "everyman" hero. It's a edge-of-your-seat, hair-raising, nail-biter of an adventure. A novel with the power to invoke the fearless child within you.
On the same day that France surrenders to the Nazis, Jack Mooney--a New Yorker, barely out of high school--hitches a ride to Montreal, where he enlists as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force. The last thing he says to his little brother before leaving home is, "Don't forget me, kid."
Two years later a telegram arrives: Jack, now a Spitfire pilot flying for the Royal Air Force, is missing in action somewhere in German-occupied Europe.
With only the telegram to guide him, 12-year-old Tommy Mooney arms himself to the hilt: with a sling-shot, a boomerang, a bow and arrow set, and an indomitable sense of youthful optimism. Mounting his Schwinn bicycle, he heads for the Brooklyn Harbor, setting a course for London, England, where he plans to recruit Jack's British fiancée before continuing on to Nazi-occupied Belgium.
Thus begins a journey that one reader calls, "A rattling, high concept, wartime adventure--with a wonderfully quirky and incredibly brave hero-narrator."
Soon enough, hope turns to foreboding--as it begins to look as though Tommy is being deceived by the Gestapo, used in a plot to expose a Resistance network created to help downed airmen. "Bravery," he realizes, "is like teeth plaque. It takes time to build up."
Hearkening back to the Hitchcock film, Saboteur, and the WWII era mysteries of Eric Ambler and Helen MacInnis, Telegram For Mrs. Mooney will introduce you to a truly likable, sometimes irascible, archetypal "everyman" hero. It's a edge-of-your-seat, hair-raising, nail-biter of an adventure. A novel with the power to invoke the fearless child within you.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2018
717 people are currently reading
493 people want to read
About the author
Cate M. Ruane
7 books12 followersCATE M. RUANE is the author of a series starring her fictionalized father, Tommy Mooney, set during WWII. Before turning her hand to fiction, she worked as a creative director at advertising agencies in New York City and San Francisco. In her spare time she paints landscapes and travels the world. Born and raised on Long Island, she is now based in Asheville, N.C.
Under her pen name C. M. RUANE, she authors adult and women’s fiction.
Under her pen name C. M. RUANE, she authors adult and women’s fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
July 28, 2021
What a wonderful book! I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
This work of historical fiction begins when the Mooney family is notified that the eldest son, Jack, has been shot down in his RAF Spitfire during World War II and is MIA, presumed dead.
Tommy, Jack’s twelve year-old brother, is unconvinced of any harm having come to Jack and is determined to leave New York and rescue Jack overseas. How will Tommy get there? Where will Tommy start his search? How will Tommy communicate his “mission” when he can barely speak proper English much less speak French and German?!
A terrific premise and adventure. I could certainly see this made into a Netflix series.
I would definitely recommend this read. 🗺🗼
This work of historical fiction begins when the Mooney family is notified that the eldest son, Jack, has been shot down in his RAF Spitfire during World War II and is MIA, presumed dead.
Tommy, Jack’s twelve year-old brother, is unconvinced of any harm having come to Jack and is determined to leave New York and rescue Jack overseas. How will Tommy get there? Where will Tommy start his search? How will Tommy communicate his “mission” when he can barely speak proper English much less speak French and German?!
A terrific premise and adventure. I could certainly see this made into a Netflix series.
I would definitely recommend this read. 🗺🗼
March 29, 2022
Well, that was fun. Tommy’s voice was hilarious and created a unique take on WWII. Yet, at the same time, the occasional third-person present-tense scenes were the perfect way to show the other side of the story and remind me that yes, this is serious stuff. I did figure out some of the answers, but I was okay with that. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments in this story, and some parts I just had to read to the people around me. It should be noted that this is not a Christian book (unless you count some not-to-serious Catholicism, which I don’t), and there is some language and a few off-color sections in the story. I caught some editing foibles as well. But as a whole, this was a fun, lighthearted break from heavier reading. Tommy’s sheer audacity made me keep reading just to find out what he’d manage to pull off next! But I don’t recommend it for twelve-year-olds. They might get ideas.
December 11, 2019
Exciting
A definite page-turner. Young readers shall be encouraged with the courage, bravery and ingenuity of the main character. I certainly am and I am a grandmother! Good luck in all your endeavors, Miss Cate. Thank you for this artful depiction. #buckroth 😊
A definite page-turner. Young readers shall be encouraged with the courage, bravery and ingenuity of the main character. I certainly am and I am a grandmother! Good luck in all your endeavors, Miss Cate. Thank you for this artful depiction. #buckroth 😊
November 18, 2021
What a hoot! I like World War Two novels, but they can be depressing, and of course, we all know the danger going in. To find something that made me laugh out loud was a treat. If you've ever read To Kill a Mockingbird, you know the delightful spin a kid's point of view can put on something--especially this kid, Tommy Mooney, who is singlehandedly going to rescue his brother from he Nazis. Make some hot chocolate and enjoy this first book in a delightful series.
July 20, 2019
One of the most important qualities in writing certain types of fiction is the impression that the reader is plausibly in the mind, and the world, of characters. Cate M. Ruane's first book does this suberbly. "Telegram For Mrs. Mooney" is an impressively well-researched wartime adventure story of a 12-year-old boy searching for his brother Jack, a Spitfire pilot downed in Nazi-occupied Belgium. But it's not just the historical accuracy (you really do get the sense of being in wartime Europe) that is on display here; Ms. Ruane has clearly engaged very reflectively with her story and its protagonists. Given its loose basis on the stories of her own family members, this is not surprising. But the point is, any author might dash off a historically accurate depiction of a time period; Ms. Ruane goes the crucial step further and *loves* her characters, making them endearing, easy to root for, and an integrated part of their time and place.
The young Tommy Mooney, full of wide-eyed wonder and incorrigibly optimistic, sets out (alone) from his Long Island home without the slightest hint of the absurdity of a 12-year-old undertaking the task before him. It's just this combination of absurdity and optimism that delights and pulls you in as the plan begins to unfold. Who best to take on Hitler's Nazi-infested Europe at the height of its power? A middle-schooler with a smattering of German and positively no fear, that's who! Enter an English Dunkirk veteran, Jack's love-struck and daring fiancé, a gamut of characters in the Franco-Belgian Resistance, and voila! you have a high-spirited team for a good old yarn about kicking Nazi butt.
Cate M. Ruane gives us a World War II story we can laugh about without losing the solemnity and tragedy of the subject. This is right up the alley of fans of Huck Finn, The Adventures of Tintin, Foyle's War, and any sort of resistance tale. Can't wait for the next one!
The young Tommy Mooney, full of wide-eyed wonder and incorrigibly optimistic, sets out (alone) from his Long Island home without the slightest hint of the absurdity of a 12-year-old undertaking the task before him. It's just this combination of absurdity and optimism that delights and pulls you in as the plan begins to unfold. Who best to take on Hitler's Nazi-infested Europe at the height of its power? A middle-schooler with a smattering of German and positively no fear, that's who! Enter an English Dunkirk veteran, Jack's love-struck and daring fiancé, a gamut of characters in the Franco-Belgian Resistance, and voila! you have a high-spirited team for a good old yarn about kicking Nazi butt.
Cate M. Ruane gives us a World War II story we can laugh about without losing the solemnity and tragedy of the subject. This is right up the alley of fans of Huck Finn, The Adventures of Tintin, Foyle's War, and any sort of resistance tale. Can't wait for the next one!
July 27, 2023
What a ride!
The Cover: Very cool and appealing.
The Writing: Tommy's narrative was so enjoyable to read. He was genuine and down to earth. I really loved the Treasure Island book references :)
The Characters: Tommy was a great MC and Daphne made a great co-adventurer!
The Plot: Perhaps a bit unrealistic but this was a long journey but full of heart. Do you know how some books don't have much "meat" to them? This wasn't the case at all! This was jampacked with adventure but not to the point that it was overwhelming. Tommy meets a lot of new faces along the way, some friends and foes, but each interaction really kept the story moving. I loved the history aspects.
The Themes/Messages: Loyalty, bravery, and determination. There was a feeling of zealous patriotism.
The Romance: Clean
Content Warnings: War-related violence and death. As far as language goes there was a few H's.
Overall: 4 stars! I'm glad I finally got around to reading this. I hope to continue the series. Recommended for history buffs.
The Cover: Very cool and appealing.
The Writing: Tommy's narrative was so enjoyable to read. He was genuine and down to earth. I really loved the Treasure Island book references :)
The Characters: Tommy was a great MC and Daphne made a great co-adventurer!
The Plot: Perhaps a bit unrealistic but this was a long journey but full of heart. Do you know how some books don't have much "meat" to them? This wasn't the case at all! This was jampacked with adventure but not to the point that it was overwhelming. Tommy meets a lot of new faces along the way, some friends and foes, but each interaction really kept the story moving. I loved the history aspects.
The Themes/Messages: Loyalty, bravery, and determination. There was a feeling of zealous patriotism.
The Romance: Clean
Content Warnings: War-related violence and death. As far as language goes there was a few H's.
Overall: 4 stars! I'm glad I finally got around to reading this. I hope to continue the series. Recommended for history buffs.
May 30, 2020
I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. My expectations were low with this being a free book. I loved reading about Tommy’s adventures and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Do yourself a favor and read Telegram for Mrs. Mooney!
January 8, 2024
An all-boy glance at war filled with humor and hope and just how far you’ll go for someone you love.
*contains language and content I do not condone. Not a book I would recommend.
*contains language and content I do not condone. Not a book I would recommend.
August 1, 2019
Easy read, a story of fiction and adventure for the teenager. It is on the lines of a Treasure Island update.
August 20, 2018
"Telegram For Mrs. Mooney" is a tense, fast-moving story that nonetheless is full of fun, suspense and surprises. It's a good summer read.. especially, I think, for teenagers and the young at heart.
The story is set in the late summer and fall of 1942. Western Europe is controlled by German forces, reports are beginning to surface of the killing of Jews in concentration camps, and the U.S. has yet to land any of their own military forces on the continent.
12-year-old Tommy Mooney narrates the story like one of his heroes, Huck Finn, and he does so using the street-wise language he's learned growing up in Queens. After reading a telegram saying that his older brother Jack, a fighter pilot for the Royal Air Force in England, is missing after being shot down during a raid in the Belgian countryside, Tommy decides to take action. He rides his bike to the docks in New York and stows away on a yacht bound for England, and the adventure is on.
Once in England, Tommy searches for his brother's British fiancé. Daphne, convinced that Jack's not dead, decides to pair up with Tommy, and they take off across the Channel for Belgium in a stolen boat. They don't have much to go on, but they're determined to search for answers: Is Jack dead or alive? And if he has survived, where might they find him?
The reader occasionally has to suspend his or her sense of disbelief as Tommy and Daphne dodge agents of the Gestapo and tumble into a number of improbable meetings that lead them closer to the truth, but the twists and turns in the story are plausible, and it moves along at a pretty rapid clip. Lulls in the action are filled in by Tommy's narratives about his family, the people and places they encounter on the continent, and conversations with Daphne (who is herself a Jew and is very emotional about their persecution by the Nazis). And every few chapters, we also get reports outside of Tommy's narrative as to Jack's possible whereabouts, and what the Resistance is doing to undermine the Germans. It has the feel of a sort of 'junior' version of an Indiana Jones movie.
Being myself a Jewish-born suburban child of Belgian and German parents (who were about the same age as Tommy in the book during the WWII), I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about European events and life in the 1940s, but even I was intrigued, entertained and educated by many of the descriptions in the book. The author paints scenes of the everyday lives of Americans, Brits, and the Belgian and French people under German occupation that seem very realistic, while also adding to the backdrop and sub-plots of the main story. So, there's a balance here between adventure and history which is really appealing! I can easily imagine this book being on a reading list for students taking classes like World History, but really there's something for everyone here.
I know the author, Cate Ruane, and I started reading an advance copy of this book, but it was so good that I ended up purchasing the paperback to finish the story. The physical book is presented professionally, with good-sized text that is easy on the eyes.
And I just discovered that the next book in this 3-part series is now available, so on to the next part of the continuing adventure!
The story is set in the late summer and fall of 1942. Western Europe is controlled by German forces, reports are beginning to surface of the killing of Jews in concentration camps, and the U.S. has yet to land any of their own military forces on the continent.
12-year-old Tommy Mooney narrates the story like one of his heroes, Huck Finn, and he does so using the street-wise language he's learned growing up in Queens. After reading a telegram saying that his older brother Jack, a fighter pilot for the Royal Air Force in England, is missing after being shot down during a raid in the Belgian countryside, Tommy decides to take action. He rides his bike to the docks in New York and stows away on a yacht bound for England, and the adventure is on.
Once in England, Tommy searches for his brother's British fiancé. Daphne, convinced that Jack's not dead, decides to pair up with Tommy, and they take off across the Channel for Belgium in a stolen boat. They don't have much to go on, but they're determined to search for answers: Is Jack dead or alive? And if he has survived, where might they find him?
The reader occasionally has to suspend his or her sense of disbelief as Tommy and Daphne dodge agents of the Gestapo and tumble into a number of improbable meetings that lead them closer to the truth, but the twists and turns in the story are plausible, and it moves along at a pretty rapid clip. Lulls in the action are filled in by Tommy's narratives about his family, the people and places they encounter on the continent, and conversations with Daphne (who is herself a Jew and is very emotional about their persecution by the Nazis). And every few chapters, we also get reports outside of Tommy's narrative as to Jack's possible whereabouts, and what the Resistance is doing to undermine the Germans. It has the feel of a sort of 'junior' version of an Indiana Jones movie.
Being myself a Jewish-born suburban child of Belgian and German parents (who were about the same age as Tommy in the book during the WWII), I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about European events and life in the 1940s, but even I was intrigued, entertained and educated by many of the descriptions in the book. The author paints scenes of the everyday lives of Americans, Brits, and the Belgian and French people under German occupation that seem very realistic, while also adding to the backdrop and sub-plots of the main story. So, there's a balance here between adventure and history which is really appealing! I can easily imagine this book being on a reading list for students taking classes like World History, but really there's something for everyone here.
I know the author, Cate Ruane, and I started reading an advance copy of this book, but it was so good that I ended up purchasing the paperback to finish the story. The physical book is presented professionally, with good-sized text that is easy on the eyes.
And I just discovered that the next book in this 3-part series is now available, so on to the next part of the continuing adventure!
August 20, 2018
The basic premise of this book is that a 12-year-old boy from NYC learns that his older brother, a fighter pilot in the RAF Eagle Squadron, has been shot down over Nazi-occupied Belgium. The boy runs away from home, stows away aboard a yacht heading to England, then finds his older brothers English fiance’, and the two then steal a speedboat to cross the English Channel to rescuer his brother and her fiance’. Along the way, they meet various French and Belgian people who help them out, including members of the Belgian and French resistance. They also blow up a Nazi munitions depot. While the storyline is quite implausible, it is incredibly entertaining. There is also a great deal of factual history interspersed with the fiction. I enjoyed this book enough that I have immediately started Message for Hitler (Tommy Mooney Mystery #2).
June 10, 2019
"Telegram For Mrs. Mooney
I wasn't too sure about this book to start with. I almost gave up because it was so juvenile. The grammar was horrible and it felt like a child's story. As you get much deeper into the story, you see that it does include the war in all its horrors. It becomes more about a rescue mission and survival in enemy territory. It turned out to be an ok story plot. Still I feel it would be great for a pre-teen or teenager.
I wasn't too sure about this book to start with. I almost gave up because it was so juvenile. The grammar was horrible and it felt like a child's story. As you get much deeper into the story, you see that it does include the war in all its horrors. It becomes more about a rescue mission and survival in enemy territory. It turned out to be an ok story plot. Still I feel it would be great for a pre-teen or teenager.
September 7, 2018
Although the main characters get themselves in and out of dangerous Nazi situations with incredible ease, I did get a little bored reading and knowing that the book would end up with a happy ending. Saying this, it is based on true historical happenings and is inspired by true people. I will probably read the next two books because the characters, although at times, incredulous, are endearing.
September 17, 2019
I am impressed
I read a lot and critique just as much. For me to date this 5 stars is saying a lot. I enjoyed it in spite of some of it being highly unlikely. Enough facts mix with the fiction to overlook that as it is a novel. Then I find out the author is from Long island and now lives in Asheville. I am com Long Island and live one hour south of Asheville!!
I read a lot and critique just as much. For me to date this 5 stars is saying a lot. I enjoyed it in spite of some of it being highly unlikely. Enough facts mix with the fiction to overlook that as it is a novel. Then I find out the author is from Long island and now lives in Asheville. I am com Long Island and live one hour south of Asheville!!
Read
September 26, 2018Excellent book, A real page turner about a young boy who runs away during WWII to try to find and rescue his older brother who was shot down in Europe. His travails as he manages to cross the channel and the adventures he has and people he meets while on his quest.
November 7, 2019
Adventure!
A twelve-year-old boy leaves home at risk to search for his brother who was shot down over Belgium as a WWII aviator. Based on true events and people, it reads like a movie and lets you experience the time and peoples in jeopardy.
A twelve-year-old boy leaves home at risk to search for his brother who was shot down over Belgium as a WWII aviator. Based on true events and people, it reads like a movie and lets you experience the time and peoples in jeopardy.
April 27, 2020
Awesome Piece of Work
Telegram for Mrs. Mooney will keep you captivated on an adventure to find and save a family member, during the Beginning of World War 2. I highly recommend this book for all ages!
Telegram for Mrs. Mooney will keep you captivated on an adventure to find and save a family member, during the Beginning of World War 2. I highly recommend this book for all ages!
September 15, 2019
Loved it. A wonderful story and excitingly told. It's a story everyone would enjoy. I have a new favorite author. Recommend, recommend, if you want to lose yourself in an exciting story.
September 5, 2020
Great Read!
Well written book that was enthralling to read.
With a bit of humour, intrigue, history, adventure, romance and travel .... it will appeal to many
Well written book that was enthralling to read.
With a bit of humour, intrigue, history, adventure, romance and travel .... it will appeal to many
Read
August 22, 2020This is the improbable story of Tommy Mooney, a 12-year old boy from Long Island, who is determined to get to Europe to rescue his brother, a downed fighter pilot during WWII. His adventures include stowing away on a yacht, stealing a speed boat, blowing up a munitions depot, and working with the French resistance. Along the way he gets English and deportment lessons from a wealthy English couple, and convinces his brother's fiancee to go to German-occupied Belgium with him, in search for his brother Jack.
There are somber moments in the book. After all, it is a war story. However, it is written from the viewpoint of a young boy.
I grew up watching the old "Spanky and Our Gang" and "Little Rascals" movies on Saturday morning TV. Tommy Mooney would have fit right in with that bunch of mischievous kids.
This is the first book in a series. I wonder what scrapes Tommy will get into before he safely makes it home to New York.
There are somber moments in the book. After all, it is a war story. However, it is written from the viewpoint of a young boy.
I grew up watching the old "Spanky and Our Gang" and "Little Rascals" movies on Saturday morning TV. Tommy Mooney would have fit right in with that bunch of mischievous kids.
This is the first book in a series. I wonder what scrapes Tommy will get into before he safely makes it home to New York.
September 6, 2019
Great
Read. First time reading this author. Me Ruane pulls you into the story. Characters are interesting. Tommy reminds me of the mischief my own younger brother got into although I don't think he would have journey on his own into a war. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Read. First time reading this author. Me Ruane pulls you into the story. Characters are interesting. Tommy reminds me of the mischief my own younger brother got into although I don't think he would have journey on his own into a war. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
October 3, 2023
Excellent storytelling!
Absolutely loved everything about this book. I wish they'd make a film from it... Adventure, romance, history, and the power of brotherly love. Highly recommended!!!!
Absolutely loved everything about this book. I wish they'd make a film from it... Adventure, romance, history, and the power of brotherly love. Highly recommended!!!!
Want to read
October 27, 2019Free on Kindle
September 19, 2023
charming
Even though this is set in one of the darkest times, ever, the Nazi occupation, it’s uplifting, and applauds the human spirit. It shows that if you have hope, as well as a huge dose of courage, you can accomplish just about anything. Also, the characters are absolutely charming, as well as admirable. If you’re looking for a feel good book, this is it.
Even though this is set in one of the darkest times, ever, the Nazi occupation, it’s uplifting, and applauds the human spirit. It shows that if you have hope, as well as a huge dose of courage, you can accomplish just about anything. Also, the characters are absolutely charming, as well as admirable. If you’re looking for a feel good book, this is it.
June 21, 2021
An impossible story.
Don't know why but this book resonated with me. Maybe because I am over 80 years old, I don't know. It is an impossible story but the sort that makes for a,n old time movie.
Don't know why but this book resonated with me. Maybe because I am over 80 years old, I don't know. It is an impossible story but the sort that makes for a,n old time movie.
August 18, 2020
Jeepers! Just finished Telegram for Mrs. Mooney and feel tempted to check my phone for bugs! Ms. Ruane is a master story-teller, pulling us into the mind of precocious, determined, un-daunted, and mostly-honest, Tommy Mooney. I love this time period. I don't love what happened during this time at all but despite the fact that I'm much north of the protagonist's age, I was riveted to the story. Well done. Can't wait to hear what happens next. After I catch my breath.
January 3, 2025
A ripping good yarn
Drawing you in from the beginning paragraph, the action never lets up in a tale reminiscent of The Boy Who Invented the Bubble Gun. You will fall in love with Tommy Mooney and his (usually) brave determination to find and rescue his older brother, who always found and rescued him.
Drawing you in from the beginning paragraph, the action never lets up in a tale reminiscent of The Boy Who Invented the Bubble Gun. You will fall in love with Tommy Mooney and his (usually) brave determination to find and rescue his older brother, who always found and rescued him.
May 27, 2019
One fun story
A 'young adult' story written for adults and guaranteed to make snowflakes heads explode. Except for some bad dialect, very enjoyable
A 'young adult' story written for adults and guaranteed to make snowflakes heads explode. Except for some bad dialect, very enjoyable
July 23, 2020
A good introduction to WWII for young readers
Tommy Mooney lives on Long Island in 1942. His brother, Jack, has joined the Royal Canadian Air Force tonight Hitler and is stationed in England. Mrs. Mooney gets a telegram that Jack's plane was shot down in German-occupied Belgium. Because his brother always looked out for him, Tommy decides to rescue Jack.
Tommy is a very resourceful 12-year-old. He comes up with a plan to get to England and, once there, how to get to Belgium. Tommy meets up with Jack's fiancee, Daphne, who joins his effort.
Their adventures take them all over France and Belgium. They are assisted along the way by members of the Resistance. They face the privations of war and the treatment of the Jews. There is a scene where a member of the Resistance is shot and Tommy finds the body.
A good novel, the first in a trilogy, for young readers (10+) who enjoy historical fiction and/or WWII.
Tommy Mooney lives on Long Island in 1942. His brother, Jack, has joined the Royal Canadian Air Force tonight Hitler and is stationed in England. Mrs. Mooney gets a telegram that Jack's plane was shot down in German-occupied Belgium. Because his brother always looked out for him, Tommy decides to rescue Jack.
Tommy is a very resourceful 12-year-old. He comes up with a plan to get to England and, once there, how to get to Belgium. Tommy meets up with Jack's fiancee, Daphne, who joins his effort.
Their adventures take them all over France and Belgium. They are assisted along the way by members of the Resistance. They face the privations of war and the treatment of the Jews. There is a scene where a member of the Resistance is shot and Tommy finds the body.
A good novel, the first in a trilogy, for young readers (10+) who enjoy historical fiction and/or WWII.
July 29, 2019
This book was a pleasant surprise. I saw it and bought for my Kindle to complete a reading challenge.
The first 50 pages weren't that great. I even thought that it was a middle grade book, but once the adventure started it turned very interesting.😊
Tommy's family lived in USA, they got a telegram about his brother Jack. He was MIA. Tommy didn't believe it and came with a plan to rescue his brother.
Tommy showed how clever and tenacious he was. He managed to get from the States to England. In England, he went looking for his brother's fiance, Daphne. And how they managed the rest of the rescue is what makes this book so great.
The reason I gave it 4 stars is because it started to drag by the end. I wanted to know what happened. And sometimes it had to many characters at once and I found myself going back to sort them out.
I will to read the second book in the series.
The first 50 pages weren't that great. I even thought that it was a middle grade book, but once the adventure started it turned very interesting.😊
Tommy's family lived in USA, they got a telegram about his brother Jack. He was MIA. Tommy didn't believe it and came with a plan to rescue his brother.
Tommy showed how clever and tenacious he was. He managed to get from the States to England. In England, he went looking for his brother's fiance, Daphne. And how they managed the rest of the rescue is what makes this book so great.
The reason I gave it 4 stars is because it started to drag by the end. I wanted to know what happened. And sometimes it had to many characters at once and I found myself going back to sort them out.
I will to read the second book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews