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OverviewSet in France in the Second World War, a story about secrecy, in which lying becomes a matter of life and death. For readers ten and above. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Gregory MaguirePublisher: Houghton Mifflin Imprint: Houghton Mifflin (Trade) Dimensions: Width: 14.00cm , Height: 1.70cm , Length: 20.30cm Weight: 0.295kg ISBN: 9780395906972ISBN 10: 0395906970 Pages: 129 Publication Date: 22 March 1999 Recommended Age: From 10 to 12 years Audience: Children/juvenile , Primary & secondary/elementary & high school , Children / Juvenile , Primary Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In Print  This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us. Table of ContentsReviewsFor a school project, three students must interview an elderly individual about his or her experiences during World War II; they manage to track down M. Delarue, a landscape painter who lived in France as a child. His memory triggered by the questions of his young interrogators, he writes a long letter, divided into sections, about life in his small village after its occupation by German troops. The device is effective, permitting the individual chapters to emerge as self-contained vignettes while retaining a sense of overall unity. There is a plot, the resolution of which is gradually revealed as M. Delarue and his brothers mature. Having prided themselves on escaping the consequences of their escapades by being accomplished liars, they now must learn that truth has many facets, and that charity sometimes requires that it be concealed. The initial chapters are filled with the details of boyhood shenanigans-from spilling a precious bucket of milk to liberating prize irises from the convent garden. Yet a darker tone pervades the narrative, rising to a crescendo in the final pages when the narrator and his brother Ren' learn not only why their secret friendship with a German soldier cannot continue but also the surprising identity of the most accomplished liar of them all. Although easy to read, the book is sophisticated in concept. At once poignant and thoughtful, laced with humor, it offers readers an unusual perspective on history.<br>Horn Book <br> Humorous, sad, involving vignettes comprise the short, fast-paced chapters that add up to a tale that seems more vivid memoir than invented. Kirkus Reviews <br>Hoping for a good grade on their World War II project, three Florida girls write a letter of questions to Marcel Delarue, an artist who grew up in occupied France. In reply, he sends a long letter that becomes the text of this first-person novel. After he sketches in the background (a village in the middle of France), and the central characters (Marcel, i For a school project, three students must interview an elderly individual about his or her experiences during World War II; they manage to track down M. Delarue, a landscape painter who lived in France as a child. His memory triggered by the questions of his young interrogators, he writes a long letter, divided into sections, about life in his small village after its occupation by German troops. The device is effective, permitting the individual chapters to emerge as self-contained vignettes while retaining a sense of overall unity. There is a plot, the resolution of which is gradually revealed as M. Delarue and his brothers mature. Having prided themselves on escaping the consequences of their escapades by being accomplished liars, they now must learn that truth has many facets, and that charity sometimes requires that it be concealed. The initial chapters are filled with the details of boyhood shenanigans-from spilling a precious bucket of milk to liberating prize irises from the convent garden. Yet a darker tone pervades the narrative, rising to a crescendo in the final pages when the narrator and his brother Ren' learn not only why their secret friendship with a German soldier cannot continue but also the surprising identity of the most accomplished liar of them all. Although easy to read, the book is sophisticated in concept. At once poignant and thoughtful, laced with humor, it offers readers an unusual perspective on history. For a school project, three students must interview an elderly individual about his or her experiences during World War II; they manage to track down M. Delarue, a landscape painter who lived in France as a child. His memory triggered by the questions of his young interrogators, he writes a long letter, divided into sections, about life in his small village after its occupation by German troops. The device is effective, permitting the individual chapters to emerge as self-contained vignettes while retaining a sense of overall unity. There is a plot, the resolution of which is gradually revealed as M. Delarue and his brothers mature. Having prided themselves on escaping the consequences of their escapades by being accomplished liars, they now must learn that truth has many facets, and that charity sometimes requires that it be concealed. The initial chapters are filled with the details of boyhood shenanigans-from spilling a precious bucket of milk to liberating prize irises from the c Author InformationGregory Maguire is the popular author of many books for children, including the Hamlet Chronicles for Clarion, as well as several adult books, including WICKED (HarperCollins), upon which a Broadway musical was based, and its sequel, CONFESSIONS OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER (Regan Books). He lives in Concord, Massachusetts. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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