Isa de Smit was raised in the vibrant world of her parents' small gallery in Amsterdam until the Nazi occupation. The "degenerate" art of the gallery is confiscated, the artists in hiding or deported, and her best friend, Truus, flees to join the resistance. And the Nazis are taking her country’s heritage, feeding the Third Reich's ravenous appetite for culture. When unpaid taxes threaten the gallery, Isa sells the Nazis a fake Rembrandt drawn by her father, despite the risk of being labeled a collaborator.
On the way to the auction, Isa discovers that Truus is part of a resistance ring to smuggle Jewish babies out of Amsterdam. He cannot save more children without money — and Isa thinks she knows how to get it. But to succeed, Isa will need to learn the art of a master forger. She finds an unlikely source to help her do it: a young Nazi soldier who says he wants to desert the German army. But a human fake can be as difficult to spot as a forgery...
Based on the true stories of Han Van Meegeren, a master art forger, and Johann van Hulst, credited with saving 600 Jewish children, Sharon Cameron weaves a gorgeously evocative thriller that looks for the forgotten color of beauty, even in an ugly world.
Recommended Age | 14 and up |
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Author | Sharon Cameron |
ISBN | 1338813951 |
Publication Date | Nov 7, 2023 |
Publisher | Scholastic Press |
Language | English |