The Girls They Left Behind
Grade 7 Up–An unfinished manuscript completed by her daughter after the author's death, this historical novel is based on Hunter's memories of her teen years on the World War II Canadian homefront. Told partly in the form of entries from a diary kept by the main character, Natalie, and partly in first-person narrative, this is the story of young men going off to war, young women taking on war-related jobs at home, and everyone left behind worrying about whether their friends and loved ones will return to them. Natalie, who has dropped out of high school to take a job at an aircraft plant, is especially concerned about her favorite cousin, Carmen, who eventually goes missing in action. With its inclusion of brand names, wartime prices, and details about rationing and blackouts, this book will have particular appeal to nostalgic adults who have similar memories of daily life during World War II. This attention to the background detail is the book's strongest point; unfortunately, the characters lack depth and young readers will not find the plot compelling.–Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.