Postcards From
No Man’s Land
No Man’s Land
by
Aidan Chambers
Book Summary:
Postcards From No Man’s Land won the Printz Award in 2003. The story begins as 17-year old Jacob visits Amsterdam, Netherlands for a remembrance ceremony for a conflict during World War II in which his grandfather, (also called Jacob) fought. The journey has young Jacob stay with the grandson, Daan, of an old woman, Geertrui, who took care of his grandfather following the battle. When he visits her in the hospital, she begins to tell him the story of how she came to know Jacob’s grandfather. The story continues flashing back and forth between Geertrui’s 1944 story and Jacob’s current day adventures in Amsterdam.
Postcards From No Man’s Land won the Printz Award in 2003. The story begins as 17-year old Jacob visits Amsterdam, Netherlands for a remembrance ceremony for a conflict during World War II in which his grandfather, (also called Jacob) fought. The journey has young Jacob stay with the grandson, Daan, of an old woman, Geertrui, who took care of his grandfather following the battle. When he visits her in the hospital, she begins to tell him the story of how she came to know Jacob’s grandfather. The story continues flashing back and forth between Geertrui’s 1944 story and Jacob’s current day adventures in Amsterdam.
APA Reference:
Chambers, A. (2002). Postcards from no man’s land. New York: Dutton Books
Chambers, A. (2002). Postcards from no man’s land. New York: Dutton Books
My Impressions:
This story has too many characters, story changes, and tries to encompass too many issues that concern young adults, making it burdensome to follow. Young Jacob is obsessed with Anne Frank and compares his wants and desires around her. He stays with Daan who is bi-sexual and he has a friend Ton, who is homosexual and desires Jacob. Jacob meets Geertrui is in the process of being euthanized and wishes to relate her story to Jacob before she dies. She had an adulterous affair with the married older Jacob while he was hiding and recuperating and ended up becoming pregnant with their daughter, Daan’s mother. Jacob endeavors to sort out the emotions that accompany all these events. The cumbersome nature of the book made enjoyment unmanageable.
Professional Review:
Jacob travels to Holland in place of his ill grandmother for a ceremony honoring fallen WW II soldiers. While there, he visits the woman who nursed his grandfather, Geertrui, and is hosted by her grandson, Daan. A brief summary of the two stories running concurrently is given, and McDowell comments on Chamber’s style of including real journals of events of the Battle of Arnhem throughout Geertrui’s narrative. Comparisons of Geertrui’s and Jacob’s “sexual awakenings” are compared during their time of “coming-of-age”. McDowell mentions, “Chambers creates a heady flood of sensory and emotional detail while keeping tight reins on several powerful plots and subplots.” Anne Frank also plays a big part in the book as her story is of interest to Jacob, it takes place during the war, and it supports the coming-of-age theme.
McDowell, K. (2002, Sept.). [Review of the book Postcards from no man's land, by A. Chambers]. Bulletin Of The Center For Children's Books, 56(1), 9-10. Available from http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/.
This story has too many characters, story changes, and tries to encompass too many issues that concern young adults, making it burdensome to follow. Young Jacob is obsessed with Anne Frank and compares his wants and desires around her. He stays with Daan who is bi-sexual and he has a friend Ton, who is homosexual and desires Jacob. Jacob meets Geertrui is in the process of being euthanized and wishes to relate her story to Jacob before she dies. She had an adulterous affair with the married older Jacob while he was hiding and recuperating and ended up becoming pregnant with their daughter, Daan’s mother. Jacob endeavors to sort out the emotions that accompany all these events. The cumbersome nature of the book made enjoyment unmanageable.
Professional Review:
Jacob travels to Holland in place of his ill grandmother for a ceremony honoring fallen WW II soldiers. While there, he visits the woman who nursed his grandfather, Geertrui, and is hosted by her grandson, Daan. A brief summary of the two stories running concurrently is given, and McDowell comments on Chamber’s style of including real journals of events of the Battle of Arnhem throughout Geertrui’s narrative. Comparisons of Geertrui’s and Jacob’s “sexual awakenings” are compared during their time of “coming-of-age”. McDowell mentions, “Chambers creates a heady flood of sensory and emotional detail while keeping tight reins on several powerful plots and subplots.” Anne Frank also plays a big part in the book as her story is of interest to Jacob, it takes place during the war, and it supports the coming-of-age theme.
McDowell, K. (2002, Sept.). [Review of the book Postcards from no man's land, by A. Chambers]. Bulletin Of The Center For Children's Books, 56(1), 9-10. Available from http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/.
Library Uses:
This title may have some redeeming historical fiction qualities in regard to World War II wartime life in the Netherlands. A quiet read for high-school students could fill-in information gaps for high-achieving students in need of further information.
This title may have some redeeming historical fiction qualities in regard to World War II wartime life in the Netherlands. A quiet read for high-school students could fill-in information gaps for high-achieving students in need of further information.
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