National Bestseller In the tradition of All The Light We Cannot See and The Nightingale, comes an incandescent debut novel about a young Dutch man who comes of age during the perilousness of World War II.Beginning in the summer of 1939, fourteen-year-old Jacob Koopman and his older brother, Edwin, enjoy lives of prosperity and quiet contentment. Many of the residents in their small Dutch town … contentment. Many of the residents in their small Dutch town have some connection to the Koopman lightbulb factory, and the locals hold the family in high esteem.
On days when they aren’t playing with friends, Jacob and Edwin help their Uncle Martin on his fishing boat in the North Sea, where German ships have become a common sight. But conflict still seems unthinkable, even as the boys’ father naively sends his sons to a Hitler Youth Camp in an effort to secure German business for the factory.
When war breaks out, Jacob’s world is thrown into chaos. The Boat Runner follows Jacob over the course of four years, through the forests of France, the stormy beaches of England, and deep within the secret missions of the German Navy, where he is confronted with the moral dilemma that will change his life—and his life’s mission—forever.
Epic in scope and featuring a thrilling narrative with precise, elegant language, The Boat Runner tells the little-known story of the young Dutch boys who were thrown into the Nazi campaign, as well as the brave boatmen who risked everything to give Jewish refugees safe passage to land abroad. Through one boy’s harrowing tale of personal redemption, here is a novel about the power of people’s stories and voices to shine light through our darkest days, until only love prevails.
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This book has me captivated.
There is always another story about World War I I. You think you’ve read it all and then comes another twist. Great read!
So informative- very good book
One of the best books I’ve read in the past year. A tale of war, family, becoming an adult, how life circumstances shape life.
The Whole Spirit
Jacob. Faced with so much loss. Faced with cowardice. How can he survive the Occupation? The water. The Sea. Navigating. Charting. Studying. Fleeing. Suffering. Becoming sea worthy. Becoming the vessel.
I enjoyed the book immensely except the ending was too abrupt. There were so many twists and turns in the plot. The author told how the many subplots came from his life and his ancestors.
great story, realistic characters.
Gives insight into families caught up in WWll.
Excellent but graphic
Not the best book I have ever read, but it was good.
It traces the life and experiences of a Dutch teenager from the time just prior to invasion by Nazis to the waning days of WWII. The events are unvarnished though some parts seem too much of an embellishment. But the central character is credible.
A good read
Books that explore the ways in which either real or fictional characters respond to dire circumstances always inspire me. The characters make me hopeful about our current ability to survive the challenges of today’s turbulent times.
TOO LONG WINDED
As I have been surviving a broken foot for several months reading has been happ y place. One of the few books I was so thrilled to hide out and be in peace and quiet. What an awesome story to be carried away with.
couldn’t put it down. Well written by an excellent story teller. Unforgettable.
It’s a darker book than I generally read, but I was pulled in by the complex, multi layered characters. There are no perfect people, no all knowing heroes-but people can evolve. That’s what I liked about this book. Even the admirable characters made mistakes; there was a sense of an average person trying to be decent but not always knowing what that meant. How can you be good in an evil world that’s trying to kill every good thing? We tell ourselves what we would do. This is more likely to be accurate.
no comment
I heard the author speak about his book and some of the characters are based on his family members. I found the story fascinating!
I started reading this book (to make me ready to sleep) at 10:30 at night. I literally read all night until the end of the book. I could not put it down. I read 2-3 books a week, and have for years. This is in the top 5 books I’ve ever read. My son is reading it now.