River in the Sea Author:Tina Boscha At fifteen, Leen De Graaf likes everything she shouldn?t: smoking cigarettes, wearing red lipstick, driving illegally, and working in the fields. It seems the only thing she shares with her fellow Dutchmen is a fear of the German soldiers stationed nearby and a frantic wish for the war to end. When a soldier?s dog runs in front of Leen?s truck... more », her split-second reaction sets off a storm of events that pitches her family against the German forces when they are most desperate ? and fierce. Leen tries to hold her family together, but despite her efforts, bit by bit everything falls apart, and just when Leen experiences a horrific loss, she must make a decision that could forever brand her a traitor, yet finally allow her to live as her heart desires. Inspired by the life of the author?s mother, River in the Sea is a powerful and moving account of one girl reaching adulthood when everything she believes about family, friendship, and loyalty is questioned by war. ?Tina Boscha?s prose is exemplary; her protagonist in River in the Sea is highly sympathetic; and her setting of Friesland, Netherlands, is alive with details. I fell in love with her tender gaze at the world she creates.? -Samrat Upadhyay, author of The Guru of Love« less