- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co (Mar 19 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0395900123
- ISBN-13: 978-0395900123
- Product Dimensions: 21.7 x 14.9 x 2.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 435 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-This well-written novel combines two periods in French history-the 1940s and the early 1300s. Lisette Beaucaire, 13, is sent to live in the country with her aunt, since food is scarce in Paris, which is overrun by German soldiers. Although she dreads spending time with her bratty cousin Cecile, Lisette is even more dismayed to discover that her aunt is hiding Jewish and gypsy children from the Nazis. As Lisette and the children practice what to do if the Nazis arrive unexpectedly, she begins to understand the seriousness of the situation. Then she encounters the ghost of Gerard, a young knight who died in 1314. At first he is merely a spirit but gradually he becomes solid and real-and a friend. In an exciting climax, Gerard helps Lisette save the younger children from the Nazis. The conclusion leads readers to ponder the future of the characters. The plot moves briskly and Vande Velde does a good job of creating the war-time atmosphere of fear and suspicion. Lisette is a sympathetic and believable character. However, the comparison between the persecution of the Jews and gypsies by Hitler and the Knights Templar (Gerard's order) by King Philip IV is a bit of a stretch and may not be the best example to help readers understand the Holocaust. (Among other things, the Knights Templar, a powerful group of monks known for fighting in the Crusades, was not particularly tolerant of Jews or other "infidels.") Still, this fast-paced adventure raises some interesting issues.
Cyrisse Jaffee, formerly at Newton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Cyrisse Jaffee, formerly at Newton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 5^-9. The author of numerous fantasies (most recently The Changeling Prince [1998]) and fairy tale adaptations (Tales from the Brothers Grimm and Sisters Weird [1995]) tries a more realistic setting in her latest offering. Parisian 13-year-old Lizette is sent to live with her aunt in German-occupied rural France in the fall of 1940. There she meets Gerard, the ghost of a fourteenth-century Templar knight, who was murdered by King Phillip IV in 1314. As she learns more about Gerard and the evils of his time, she comes to understand the true dangers of the Nazi occupation, and the importance of helping her aunt hide several Jewish and Gypsy children. Velde's melding of fantasy with historical fiction is generally successful, and her comments about the similarities between these two historical periods are well taken. Less convincing are the characters' motivations: Why does Aunt Josephine risk everything to take in five orphaned children? Why does Gerard, whose apparitional form has appeared to villagers for generations, suddenly become a live human being again after meeting Lizette? Despite these flaws, the narrative flows well and should appeal to readers, especially fans of Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic (1988). Kay Weisman
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting and Suspenseful,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Coming Evil (Hardcover)
Lisette hopes the year she turns thirteen will be the best year of her life. Unfortunately for her, the year she turns thirteen is 1940, when the Nazis are in France. On September first, her birthday, her parents send her away to live with her Aunt Josephine in the country because they think she will be safer there than in Paris. Lisette is not happy about going there, partly because she thinks here parents don't want her, and partly because she hates her cousin, Cecile. When she arrives at Aunt Josephine's house, she finds out her aunt is hiding Jews and Gypsies and there is a ghost in the woods. I liked this book because the story is told with a lot of detail. When you read this book, you almost feel like you are there with the characers in the story.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting, but faulty,
By
This review is from: A Coming Evil (Hardcover)
Vivian Vande Velde turned away from her usual fantasy to produce a sort of ghost story set in WW2. A Coming Evil, while a very readable book, had a number of plot flaws that prevented it from being an excellent one. The plotting around Gerard is especially weak. His unexpected return to life with the appearance of Lisette was given no logical reason and his 'archaic' speech seemed particularly inaccurate. While reading the book, it was almost as though Vivian Vande Velde was just making illogical things happen to service the plot. Apart from the lack of reasonable grounding, the ending (while certainly suspenseful) seemed rushed and abruptly cut off. On the other hand, VVV is excellent at creating the right atmosphere, and the WW2 setting works unexpectedly well with the contrast to Gerard's life. Not bad, but on the whole, if you like historical ghost stories, you're much better off trying Elizabeth Marie Pope's The Sherwood Ring.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely incredible,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Coming Evil (Hardcover)
This book is fabulous. Like everything else of hers that I've read, I was DEFINITELY not disappointed by it! Lisette is believable - she's selfish at times, not a perfect little lady. I wanted to strangle Cecile, and I LOVED Gerard. It's a mysterious, intriguing book. Read it. Now.
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