Joyce Shaughnessy, author

I am an author and avid reader of historical fiction, and I loved this entire series. I suggest readers read them in order. At the end of Books 1 and 2, I couldn't wait to read Book 3. This book is Book 1. One protagonist lives in the United States in the 1930's and begins writing to a boy in the Netherlands as a class pen pal project. The boy in the Netherlands dies, and his sister continues writing to the Chicago boy.  The continues through the occupation of the neutral Netherlands by the Nazis. It includes an important United States effort to relieve the starving of the countries, called "Operation Chowhound." There is very little written about the Netherlands during the war, so I was intrigued to learn about it. All three of the books are worth your time and will take you on a ride you won't forget!