Song of A Blackbird

by Maria van Lieshout

Published by Allen & Unwin

ISBN 9781761181795

Based on true events this graphic novel is thoughtfully and compassionately written telling the story of thousands of people who were sent to Nazi Germany during the Second World War from Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

I was surprised to see that this is for older readers aged 14 - 18 years as a graphic novel, but somehow this works well visually highlighting the story. It is a novel (pun not intended) to engage this age group in recent history.

Beginning seventy years ago, and set over two timelines, it is also the story of the biggest bank heist in European history at the time. Astonishingly right under the noses of the Nazis, 50 million guilders' worth of forged treasury bonds were swapped for real ones.

A student, Emma is drawn into this swindle and this follows Hanna, a little girl and thousands of other people have their lives placed jeopardy. While this is a work of fiction, it is based on true events which makes it even more gripping and heartfelt reading. As it is a graphic novel the pages fly by while taking in the story with the black and white images transporting the reader to Amsterdam and some museums and memorials.

Towards the end of the book you will find interesting information and photos with detailed credits and information about the photographers, that relates to some of the people and buildings in the story, Information about the printers, the SS, the Church, school, the theatre and the Resistance, most importantly the people.

The author

Maria van Lieshout was born and raised near Amsterdam, where she spent many weekends in the Museum Quarter row house where her grandparents lived with her artist aunt and metalsmith uncle. Drawing while her aunt painted, and pecking stories on a typewriter while her uncle soldered metals, inspired her love for drawing, creating and writing. After high school in Leiden, Maria studied Visual Communications at GWU in Washington DC, and worked in design and innovation at Coca-Cola. In 2000, Maria became an illustrator full-time. She has illustrated/written several picture books. Song of a Blackbird is Maria's first graphic novel.

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