Rescue
By Jennifer Neilsen
Reviewed by: Bradyn Ouellette
Set in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, “Rescue” follows the story of Meg, a 12-year-old girl who wants to be a part of the French resistance. Though Meg may seem young and naive, when an impossible chance to save her father from Nazi imprisonment falls into her lap, she sets forth on an incredible journey across the country. Along the way, Meg comes into contact with three strangers that she must lead through treacherous territory to help them flee the country. There is one problem though. Will she be able to trust them? As she faces upfront danger and uncertainty at every turn, Meg must muster up the courage and wrestle with the fear that she may never see her father again.
Looking for clean, historical fiction? I would recommend author Jennifer A. Nielsen. While this is the first historical fiction book I’ve read from her collection, I have two other series by her that were just as good. What I love about Nielsen’s books is that almost all of them have a dynamic storyline with clean content. There is no profanity and no sexually explicit content.
Keep in mind, each of her historical fiction books is categorized as middle-grade but I would still recommend them to anyone interested in an entertaining and easy read.
Although there is no apparent Christian theme throughout the book, “Rescue” covers the idea of morality and figuring out what is “right” or “wrong” in the face of life-threatening danger. Each character presented made choices that they thought were best for them and their family, even if it wasn’t necessarily the right thing to do. This was thought-provoking and made me think about the real people in WWII and how they would have responded during the crisis.
Favorite Quotes:
“I was taught that everyone has three choices in life. To be part of the good, part of the evil, or to try standing in the middle. Those who refuse to choose one side of the other only get in the way of those who are doing good and in that way, and end up helping those who wish to do evil. ‘So you left Germany because you could not be part of the evil?’ ‘No, Meg. We left because the middle became evil.”
“There is nothing so dark that light cannot find its way back. There is nothing so lost that time cannot return to us again.”
Audience:
11+
Usefulness Rating:
This book can start conversations concerning making right or wrong choices.
Entertainment Value:
This is mostly for entertainment purposes. I rated it four out of five stars.
Good For Groups:
I found a discussion guide for Jennifer Nielsen’s historical fiction books online by Scholastic. The questions look good for a book club or homeschool lesson. Discussion Questions
For more information about this book or other reading suggestions, feel free to contact Ashley Davis directly.
