Shadows on the Sea - Hardcover

Joan Hiatt Harlow

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689849265 ISBN 13: 9780689849268

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2003

Synopsis

1942.
The United States is at war with Germany. Fourteen-year-old Jill Winter's mother is traveling to Newfoundland to be with Jill's sick uncle and must pass through the treacherous North Atlantic where German submarines -- U-boats -- stalk like wolves. Jill's father, a famous pop singer, is on tour, so Jill is sent to Winter Haven, Maine, to stay with Nana.
Quarry, a local boy, says that "gossip ain't never been so good," and Jill soon discovers he's right -- Winter Haven is full of secrets and rumors. First there's Wendy, a teenager who's visiting her aunt Adrie, the owner of a local inn, and who tells so many fanciful stories and secrets, it's hard to know what's true. Then there are the Crystals, a snobbish girls' club, who blackball Wendy because of a dark secret they reveal to Jill. Even Nana seems to be keeping secrets -- with her German friend Ida Wilmar! Who's a friend and who's an enemy?
As German subs torpedo American and Canadian ships off the Maine coast, Jill is anxious for her mother's safety. Her fears are heightened when she finds a wounded pigeon with the message Sonnabend iv attached to its leg! When Nana and Ida Wilmar whisper to each other and Jill hears that same word -- Sonnabend -- she determines to uncover the truth behind the mysteries in Winter Haven. But she soon finds herself in grave danger when she uncovers the biggest secret of all -- and must run for her life!
Based on startling historical events that took place in the harbors of Maine during World War II, Shadows on the Sea is a fast-paced mystery that will keep readers guessing from beginning to end.

About this title

About the Author

Joan Hiatt Harlow is the author of several popular historical novels including Secret of the Night Ponies, Shadows on the Sea, Midnight Rider, Star in the Storm, Joshua’s Song, Thunder from the Sea, and Breaker Boy. Ms. Harlow lives in Venice, Florida. For more information, visit her at JoanHiattHarlow.com.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-8-Jill Winters, 14, has been sent to stay with her grandmother in Maine while her father, a famous singer, is on a U.S. tour and her mother is visiting her dying brother in Newfoundland. It is the summer of 1942, and German U-boats patrol the shores of the North Atlantic. Jill is terrified that her mother's ship will be torpedoed and nervous about the possibility of U-boats in the area. Adding to her worries are the mysterious goings-on in Winter Haven. Even her grandmother is secretive about the Sunday night meetings she has with her friends. When Jill intercepts a carrier pigeon with a message in German, she begins to suspect that someone in the community is guilty of treason, and she has no idea whom to trust. After the town's July 4th clambake, her life is threatened when it becomes clear to the spies that she has figured out their identity. The ending is not neatly tied up and leaves some unanswered questions. Though the novel is largely plot driven, it moves along at an engaging pace, and the author weaves in snippets about World War II and details of teen life during the 1940s.
Cheri Estes Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0689849265
• ISBN 13: 9780689849268
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256