Synopsis:When Tamar's grandfather, an intensely private man, falls from a balcony to his death, he leaves behind a box with Tamar's name on it. For a long time Tamar refuses even to think about it...until one hot June day she opens it to reveal a series of clues and hidden messages from her grandfather. She and her cousin Johannes follow the clues and discover that her name also belonged to someone else over half a century before; someone involved in the terrifying world of resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied Holland during the Second World War. As she pieces together the mystery her grandfather left behind, another Tamar's story is unravelled; a story of passionate love, jealousy and tragedy played out amongst the daily fear and horror of war.

Review:  An original work of fiction in the cannon of literature about the Second World War Tamar crosses genre boundaries, being at once mystery, romance, thriller and historical novel. Moreover, the equal weighting given to the challenges of a contemporary life free of the horrific violence and fear of Nazi occupation, lends it a feel of social realism. While the SOE Tamar faces arbitrary massacres, systematic extermination of Jews and the tactical starvation of a country, his namesake in the nineties must come to terms with less momentous, but nevertheless traumatic personal loss. It is to Peet’s credit that he deals with the breakdown and disappearance of Tamar’s father, the degenerative illness of her grandmother and her grandfather’s suicide as incomparable to the horrors of war but nevertheless profound personal tragedies.

This novel, whilst likely to attract those interested in World War Two, may be enjoyed by a wide range of readers because of its carefully constructed plot and well developed characters who can be identified with in both their achievements and failings. In addition, Peet uses historical detail regarding the occupation of Holland by the Nazis, much of which is likely to be unfamiliar. It is sensitively written with respect for those from whose lives much of the historical detail is taken. It would be interesting to look at ,and discuss how writers draw on biography and history.

Above all else, this novel seems to have something to say about the connections between generations and the need for understanding the challenges and traumas facing each one. It is insightful about what may and may not be discovered, presenting a realistic portrayal of the transfer of knowledge and experience within an eventful plot. Within the classroom it offers many cross-curricular opportunities as well as consideration of oral storytelling and history within pupils own communities.

Tamar is a reasonably long and steadily paced novel which would suit young adults of either gender who are confident readers. Peet treats the reader, like the teenage Tamar, as mature and capable of dealing with the complexities of relationships, and often distressing aspects of both peace and wartime society. It is important to note that whilst never gratuitous nor graphic, the novel refers to the reality of death and violence in war, from mass executions to the provision of Benzedrine and cyanide to SOE agents.

Winner of the Carnegie Medal 2005

2007-01-01