Code Name Kingfisher
Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler is a reprint edition published by Simon and Schuster on May 27, 2025. This 336-page book presents a poignant narrative that intertwines the past and present, focusing on a young girl named Liv as she uncovers her grandmother’s hidden history in the Dutch Resistance during World War II. As Liv helps her father clear out her grandmother Bubbe’s home, she discovers an old chest filled with letters and mementos that reveal the story of her grandmother, Mila, and her sister, Hannie, who faced the harrowing challenges of war.
Readers will find a rich exploration of family life, resilience, and the complexities of growing up as Liv learns about her grandmother’s experiences and the sacrifices made during a tumultuous time. The narrative delves into themes of loyalty and bravery, as both Liv and Mila navigate their respective challenges. Through the lens of historical fiction, the book invites readers to reflect on the importance of family connections and the courage required to confront adversity.
Official synopsis Publisher
“A stirring story that will give any reader a boost of bravery in the face of adversity.” —Booklist
A young girl learns of her grandmother and great-aunt’s involvement in the Dutch Resistance during World War II in this “intense story, gorgeously told” (School Library Journal, starred review) of family, history, resilience, and hope from acclaimed author Liz Kessler.
Thirteen-year-old Liv’s beloved ninety-two-year-old grandmother, Bubbe, is moving into a home where she can be cared for as her dementia worsens. As Liv helps her father empty Bubbe’s house, she finds an old chest which opens up a whole world that Liv never knew about: the hidden world of Bubbe’s childhood.
Through the letters and other mementos, Liv learns that her bubbe, given name Mila, had a sister, Hannie, that no one in Liv’s family ever knew about. In 1942, Mila and Hannie are sent away from their parents to a non-Jewish family so they will survive the war. Twelve-year-old Mila believes that they will soon be reunited with their parents and go back to their normal lives, but fourteen-year-old Hannie knows better, and soon gets involved in the Resistance. Hannie takes on more and more dangerous assignments until a betrayal forces her to decide between running away with her sister or fully committing to mission. Tragedy strikes, and Mila goes to England on her own to restart her life from scratch, vowing never to talk about her childhood again.
In the present day, Liv reads how Mila builds something new from the shattered pieces of her childhood while giving beloved Bubbe all the support she can. Both Liv and Mila grapple with loyalty, family, and love as they discover what it means to be brave and go above and beyond to offer someone else a life of dignity, happiness, and freedom.
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