Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/2014 Gr 4–6—Fifteen-year-old Wendy Dekker's life has drastically changed. Just a few months ago, she was Wendy Taylor from New York living with her mom, dad, and friends in America. But after being kidnapped by her Aunt Adrie, who turns out to be her mother, not to mention a Nazi spy and a German, Wendy's life is transformed. Since crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of World War II, Wendy is now living in Germany. She is expected to speak German and forget about her time in America. Her mother wants them to be together, believe in the same cause, and for Wendy to become the "perfect German daughter." Her mother has a strict list of rules for her new home. One of them is to stay away from the top shelf of books in the library—but it's in those books that Wendy begins to discover who she really is. As the unthinkable is happening all around her, Wendy learns more about what the German government is doing and plans her escape. Harlow creates another beautiful and touching story that captures what it was like during 1942 in Berlin, Germany. By introducing German words, songs and popular phrases, reader are transported back in time and surrounded by war. Harlow does an excellent job of weaving in true historical facts with fiction. This book is a stand-alone companion to Shadows on the Sea (S. & S., 2013).—Paige Bentley-Flannery, Deschutes Public Library, Bend, OR - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 11/01/2014 Wendy awakes in Nazi Germany, the past week a blur: after she learns her beloved aunt Adrie is in reality not only her mother but a Nazi spy, Adrie kidnaps her and takes her to Berlin on a submarine. Wendy tries to fit in by learning German and volunteering at a Lebensborn Home, but despite her vow to become a good German girl and ignore everything ugly, her new friendships with a blind man and a religious objector challenge her resolve. While Wendy occasionally comes across as younger than her intended age and Adrie’s cold impatience makes Wendy’s previous devotion to her confusing, this historical novel offers a succinct look at everyday life in Nazi Germany. Although nothing is explored with very much emotional depth, Harlow includes many details about Nazi atrocities and resistance factions in Germany. Avid fans of Harlow’s Shadows on the Sea (2003) will likely appreciate learning what happens to Wendy, and this companion volume stands well enough on its own that new readers will have no trouble following the story. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.

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