Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal

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Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 2,380 ratings · 438 reviews

Now available - the Carnegie Medal winner comes to the U.S.

When her grandfather dies, Tamar inherits a box containing a series of clues and coded messages. Out of the past, another Tamar emerges, a man involved in the terrifying world of resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied Holland half a century before. His story is one of passionate love, jealousy, and tragedy set again...more

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published January 23rd 2007 by Candlewick Press

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Aug 20, 2007 Jan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenbooks

I could not put this one down. It is a book that could easily be enjoyed by adults as well as teens. The writing is superior and this is a tale well told. Completely engrossing and thrilling.

Here's a brief summary from the Fantastic Fiction website:

"A thrilling and moving story about love, betrayal and belonging. 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...more

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Aug 11, 2007 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Older teens and adults

I took me a while to get into this book. It is not my usual choice of genre, but I am glad I stuck with it. This story takes place in 2 time periods and centers around 2 characters who share a name. World War II Tamar is a British soldier stationed in The Nazi-occupied Netherlands. Present day Tamar, named for her grandfather, is facing several family crises. The story is well crafted and has a twist at the end (which you may or may not see coming). The wartime section of the story really hit me...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 17, 2008 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was quite disappointed in this novel. It is advertised as the story of a young girl (Tamar) discovering secrets in her family having to do with espionage and WWII. The story isn't from the girl's point of view until page 99. Before that and comprising most of the book is a third person narrative concerning two men in the Dutch resistance during 1944. The intrigue involving the resistance is not a new story or handled in unique way. It's a basic love triangle with WWII as the backdrop and quite...more

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Aug 03, 2007 Trevor rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Certain teen readers looking for "war" books, adults who enjoy historical fiction

In such a short amount of space it’s difficult to touch on all the things that make Tamar a WWII historical novel unlike ones many teens (and adults) have ever encountered before. It’s a human drama set into motion by events taking place during the great war, which are often overlooked for bigger, Hollywood-depicted, epic war films. The hunger winter was real, and the Nazis did attempt to starve the Dutch into submission…or trick Dutch men into signing up to work for the Nazis only to become tod...more

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Jul 11, 2007 Jenn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sign of an outstanding book? Tears at the end--good tears. Tragic, historically interesting, emotionally gripping, beautifully written. As usual, I read the end early on; when I found out what happened I had to stop for a few days. But I couldn't just walk away. One nugget of doubt: Stepping away from the book, I had a little difficulty convincing myself that Dart would really have "done it," despite all Peet's carefully built clues. But I bought it wholesale while "in the dream" of the novel, s...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, young-adult

Tamar is fifteen when her grandfather commits suicide leaving her a mysterious box containing maps, a crossword puzzle, money, an identification booklet, and an old picture. Tamar sets out to unravel the mystery, taking us along for the ride down the river. (It turns out that Tamar gets her name from a river her grandfather’s code name in the war.) This is where we come to understand the story of Tamar and Dart fighting with the Dutch resistance at the end of World War II. Tamar and Dart base th...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Janice rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought book was fairly good.

Tamar is an engaging story about a spy working for the Dutch Resistance.
This story is told in two different perspectives. One follows the story of Tamar, the spy from 1945. The other part follows the story of Tamar, a girl who was named after this mysterious person of whom she knows hardly anything. She sets off on a journey to find out more about her namesake. Her story takes place in 1995.

The author goes back and forth, following the story line of the man and...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Tze rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tamar book tells the story of two people who share the same name but whose lives span out 50 years apart. One, a British spy code-named Tamar, is dropped into the middle of the Nazi-occupied Netherlands along with his wireless operator, an agent named Dart. The other is a teenage girl living in modern-day London whose only link to the past is a strange cardboard box filled with WWII relics left to her by her grandfather.
Mal Peet turns away from the generic style of other WWII spy stories, inste...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Alex Baugh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: world-war-2

Tamar is one of those stories that is difficult to talk about without giving too much away and spoiling the twist that comes at the end of the novel. And Tamar is well worth the read just to get to that. It begins in 1979, when William Hyde asks his son Jan if he and his wife would consider using the name Tamar for their expected baby, to which they happily respond in the affirmative. It is this daughter, Tamar, who narratives the story that follows.

The story then switches to 1945, introducing D...more Tamar is one of those stories that is difficult to talk about without giving too much away and spoiling the twist that comes at the end of the novel. And Tamar is well worth the read just to get to that. It begins in 1979, when William Hyde asks his son Jan if he and his wife would consider using the name Tamar for their expected baby, to which they happily respond in the affirmative. It is this daughter, Tamar, who narratives the story that follows.

The story then switches to 1945, introducing Dart and Tamar, undercover names (based on English rivers) for two Dutch born, British trained agents for the SOE (Special Operations Executive) just as they are about to parachute into the Nazi-occupied Netherlands to work with the Dutch Resistance in an attempt to reorganize it during that terrible Hunger Winter when so many people died of starvation. Once inside Holland, Dart, who is the team's radio operator, operates under the name Dr. Ernest Lubbers, living and setting up his radio at the local mental asylum. Tamar, under the name of Christiaan Boogart, is fortunate enough to be placed in the home of Marijke Maatens. Tamar/Christiaan and Marijke have been lovers for a while, but when Dart/Lubbers realizes what is going on between them, he becomes very angry and jealous. He has also fallen in love with Marjike.

The narrative moves to the spring of 1995. Jan Hyde's daughter Tamar Hyde is now 15. Her father has be missing for a few years and her beloved grandmother, Marijke, has recently passed away, after being placed in a nursing home because she was seemingly suffering from dementia. Now, her grandfather has just committed suicide. As a result of that, Tamar finds herself in possession of a box full of his World War II memorabilia. Tamar knew that her Grandad "was fascinated by riddles and codes and conundrums of labyrinths, by the origin of place names, by grammar, by slang, by jokes...by anything that might mean something else. He lived in a world that was slippery, changeable, fluid." (pg 111) And so Tamar begins a journey to figure out that codes messages her Grandad has left regarding his life and suicide.

From here on the story alternates between 1945 and 1995 as events unfold and characters are explained. I don't want to say too much more at this point and risk an unintended spoiler, which can so easily happen with suspense novels you feel enthusiastic about.

Tamar is an exciting, suspenseful, very sophisticated and often gritty YA novel, but it is definitely not going to be everyones cup of tea. A lot of readers said they had a hard time getting into the story, while others complained that it was big (379 pages) and too slow moving, while other readers thought it was a 5 star story. I tend to be on the side of the 5 star folks.

Peet's teenage narrator proves to be quite formidable. One would almost think beyond her 15 years, but given Tamar's life experiences so far, maybe her formidability is completely understandable. Through her voice, Peet details her discoveries in a very straightforward style, clean and clear, yet it is all done in such lyrical prose that sometimes it often made me almost forget the subtext of the title. Without my realizing that he had done it, Peet has taken that subtext espionage, passion and betrayal, wound and woven them together in a story that left me unsuspecting until the very end and then totally surprised. In fact, after I finished it, I thought the whole novel is really a reflection of of William Hyde's love of all things enigma and that, I think, that is what makes Tamar such an unusual story. And yet, all along the way, Tamar gives us innocent (?) hints about where things are going.

The book is recommended for readers age 14+
This book was bought for my personal library(less)

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Jan 08, 2013 LH Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, historical, perfect, gritty, war, tearjerker, young-adult

A story set over two timelines, one in 1945 and the other in 1995, Peet introduces us to Tamar and her grandfather and a group of Dutch resistance fighters in World War Two - one of whom is codenamed Tamar. It's not until the end though that we realise the connection between the two timelines - and the role Tamar's grandfather played in both.

Gritty, powerful, and heartbreaking, Tamar is outstanding. I have written before of the wonders of Peet and his quietly immense epics and when he writes the...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love WWII historical fiction spy/mystery novels. This one, although 424 pages, is a fast read. I love books with a past/present structure where it flips back and forth between the two time periods. It makes the mystery better because in the past you learn the secret and in the present you learn how it affected history. The other great quality is the title. I love titles that have double meanings on multiple levels. Tamar is the name of a river in London. It is also the name of the spy who help...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Allison Wonderland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: period, historical-fiction, romance, war, young-adult

One of those books that just sucks you in. I was absorbed from the word "go," and ran through Tamar at a quick pace. Everything seemed to slot together perfectly until the end. I can see why Peet wrote Tamar's reaction to the solution of the mystery the way he did, but I wish the ending hadn't been so... rushed, at least on the 1945 side of things. We get this excellently-written scene, and then... nothing. The information we receive on William Hyde's life after that scene is given secondhand an...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, literary

I wanted to give TAMAR five stars, it was that good a read. I thought about it off and on for days after finishing. (And normally I forget a book once it's read, except when I buy it again and realize after a couple of chapters I've read it before!)

TAMAR grabbed me right away, when an old man asks his son to name his coming baby Tamar. The son conmplies and the stage is set for the story to unfold. When Tamar is fifteen, she sets out on a journey up the Tamar River in England, going to places he...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Jessica Holmes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, my-collection

I read this book quite some time ago and much to my dismay had since forgotten its title. I have since spent the past hour give or take trying my best to find it without much luck. As I was sighing and moving my mouse towards the large X in the corner I thought “I’ll just keep looking tomorrow. Oh, Tamar!!!!” I thought I was going to die of excitement.

This book was worth the search and then some, if you like war books that is, and they are totally up my alley. The cover of the book drew me in in...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, historical-fiction, ya

This story is told from several different points of view during two different time periods. The earliest is from two secret operatives in Holland during the winter of 1944-45. Known to each other as Dart and Tamar and to their contacts as Christiaan Boogart and Edgar Lubbers, the men are working as part of the Dutch resistance to eliminate the Nazi presence. The men share their mission during the rough times and about the people whom they meet and come to rely on.

Interspersed with this story is...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Kelly Aley rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have trouble with this being a YA book. Just because one of the characters is 15, I think the editors automatically make it YA, but I disagree. You don't even meet the 15 yr old until about 95 pages into the book. Most of the book, in fact, is spent in WWII occupied Holland. I found many parts of this book interesting. I learned a lot about the resistance and radio operators and addiction to amphetamine pills too. I figured out what the main story was quite early, which made it harder to finis...more

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May 29, 2011 Thea rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who love to read. Seriously.

Shelves: library-finds, absolute-favorites, enjoyable, historical-fiction, page-turners, realistic-fiction, with-love-interests, read-in-2011

This book. Where to start.

I'd like to say that this book deserves every single one of those stars. This is a 5 star books. It's told in two perspectives: One perspective is from the main character during World War Two, while the other perspective is about the girl who is discovering how she's connected to the main character during World War Two. Both view points complement each other very well.

I first came across this book when I was finding another book. I was hesitant on picking it up because...more This book. Where to start.

I'd like to say that this book deserves every single one of those stars. This is a 5 star books. It's told in two perspectives: One perspective is from the main character during World War Two, while the other perspective is about the girl who is discovering how she's connected to the main character during World War Two. Both view points complement each other very well.

I first came across this book when I was finding another book. I was hesitant on picking it up because I have never heard of it before and I wasn't much of a historical fiction reader. I had two other books with me, but I decided to give Tamar a go. I'm so glad I did. This book drew me in right away, mainly because of how you could instantly dive right into the plot. It starts out with the grandfather choosing a child's name, which of course if the name of the novel. Then it shifts gears and transports the reader to the late stages of WWII, which caught my attention even more. The plot itself was not hard to follow; It's simplistic, but I think that's the beauty of it.

I didn't drop the book all day yesterday (unless I had to, for daily activities). I basically neglected everything else to get as far as I could with this book. It was a little slow to begin with, but once it starts, it starts. There are so many things that happen all at once, and with the changing perspectives, it's the type of book that makes you say, "Oh, I'll just finish this chapter." And when the new chapter starts, as soon as you read the first sentence, your head does a follow up and says, "I suppose another chapter wouldn't hurt!" And that's how it was with me. I read well into the night, until sleep threatened to make me forget everything I read. That, and the words began to float around the page.

I probably say this with every single book I read, but the plot really thickens the closer you get to the end. The title of "Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal" perfectly describes this book in three short, sweet, but powerful words. It came to the point where I had to go back to third grade, and cover the line that was after the current one I was reading with my bookmark because I didn't want to spoil it for myself. I'd kick myself over and over if I had ruined it. As soon as I finished the last page, I flipped back to the first page and read the prologue again. Then it all really hit me.

The very first sentence, if read very carefully, lays out the conflict for the rest of the novel. And that's what I really loved about this book. In the end, you really saw it coming, but you didn't, because most if not all of us reads the first sentence of a novel wishy-washily because we're too impatient and we want to start diving straight into the book. It's beautiful.

Even though this book gets 5 stars, it's not a book I would reread, personally. So many things happen in the book, and it has to be read carefully to fully grasp the idea behind every detail. I said the plot was simple - and it still is - but make sure you read with care. If you have to reread the book, it takes away from the novel altogether because you already know what's going to happen. It's best to keep this book fresh in your mind, and with the details that you pay so close to (right?), you shouldn't have to reread.

This was a fabulous book. I will shove this book on you, because everyone should read this book at least once. This is the type of book that's not well known, but once people have gotten a hold of it, they're in for a ride. Then they'll tell their friends, who'd tell their friends, who'd tell their friends, who'd tell their friends, who'd tell their friends...(less)

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Feb 16, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Engaging historical fiction that would appeal equally to male and female teens. Tamar's beloved grandmother has dementia and has to go to a home. Now, her grandfather has committed suicide. He left Tamar a box with clues to the mystery of his past. Grandfather was a fighter with the Dutch resistance during World War II, but he never talked about it and Tamar had never asked. Now, she sets out on a journey to discover who her grandfather REALLY was. The story is told in flashbacks. We see her gra...more

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Nov 17, 2009 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book begins with the naming of a child. A fairly simple event, yet this particular name carries a tremendous amount of meaning. The name is Tamar, it is the name of a river in Holland, it was the code name of a member of the Dutch Resistance during WWII, and it is now the name of a newly born girl. As the book progresses we learn more and more about the name, the person,and the story of Tamar.
Written in alternating sections (not chapters), young Tamar narrates the modern, set in 1995, secti...more This book begins with the naming of a child. A fairly simple event, yet this particular name carries a tremendous amount of meaning. The name is Tamar, it is the name of a river in Holland, it was the code name of a member of the Dutch Resistance during WWII, and it is now the name of a newly born girl. As the book progresses we learn more and more about the name, the person,and the story of Tamar.
Written in alternating sections (not chapters), young Tamar narrates the modern, set in 1995, sections, while the 1945 WWII sections are written in third person. There is no obvious overlap, just the knowledge that young Tamar's name carries a mystery. When her Grandad chose the name Tamar, her Grandmother, Marijke nearly fainted with shock.
The book is laden with suspense and action. We learn right away that Tamar's Grandad, William Hyde, committed suicide. He left her a box of of items including a map, a crossword puzzle, 1,945 pounds and a German passport. None of these items help Tamar, her Grandad never talked about his time in the war, so why has he left her these things? She calls her cousin Yoyo (Johannes) and they plan a road trip for the summer time to follow the marks on the maps.
While Tamar's journey does not follow her Grandad's wartime footsteps, she does get to experience the Tamar River, and her destination is not what one would expect. Alternately, the chapters set in 1945, are intense and deliberately clear. Two men, with the code names Dart and Tamar are stationed in Holland as Dutch Resistors trying to form an alliance of scattered geurilla groups. Dart, a wireless operator, travels via bicycle to send encoded messages to Britain, while Tamar organizes the resistance and tries to convince them all to work together against the German SS. Underlying this dramatic storyline is a love story. Tamar, living in a rural farmhouse, has a loving relationship with Marijke, the woman whose family owns the farm. He keeps this love a secret, and this becomes his fatal flaw. Dart, it turns out, is also in love with Marijke. Dart sees Tamar in an evil light, thinking that he has taken advantage of his situation at the farm, and he repulsed by this belief. When the opportunity arises to alter this situation, he jumps on it, and it is the dramatic climax after much build-up of suspense
While the wartime sections are a picture of the dreadfulness of Nazi ruled Europe, young Tamar's sections are a more peaceful ride through the life of a young girl left with so many unanswered questions and so much life ahead of her. What will her trip teach her about her Grandad? Why did he kill himself?
Although a happily-ever-after ending puts a glow to the finality of this book, the reader is ultimately left with a feeling of shock.
This is a book about a brutal war, a broken family, and a young girl struggling with her lack of family background. A real page turner, I highly recommend this book.(less)

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Sep 25, 2012 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, historical

When I picked this book up, I thought I would love the wartime setting and the spy story, but what really grabbed me in the end was the modern-day tale of Tamar setting off in search of her family's past along with her (very beguiling) cousin.

Perhaps this is because to me the outcome of the historical part of the story was obvious from pretty early on. Which isn't to say it wasn't well done or heartwrenching, because it was both of those things (it also sobered me to think of the extent to which...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Robin Cicchetti rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, literary-fiction, young-adult

The Dutch resistance during WWII and the the ways of the human heart are explored in this stunning, lyrical novel. Two young Dutch operatives parachute into Nazi occupied Holland after rigorous training in Britain. Their mission is to organize the various, independent resistance groups into a cohesive force and relay orders from Britain.
Details about the secret radio centers, codes written on edible silk sheets, rings with cyanide to be taken in event of capture, amphetamine addiction, boredom,...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: level-ya, historical-fiction, mystery-thriller

11/27/2010 This is an interesting blend of literary novel, historical fiction, love story, and mystery. Perhaps one of the beauties of h.f. is that simply provides the setting, with space for many other genre forms. I did find the fly-leaf description to be a bit misleading, focusing as it does on the teen girl Tamar. In reality, most of the book is set in the winter of 1944-1945 and focuses on the secret agent Tamar, his work, and his relationship with lover, Marijke, and fellow agent, Dart.

I t...more

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Oct 26, 2009 Dillon Ross rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book: Tamar
Author: Mal Peet

This story is a fiction story. When Tamar's grandfather, a private man, falls from a balcony to his death, he leaves a box with Tamar's name on it. For a long time Tamar refuses even to think about the box...until one hot June day she opens it to find a bunch 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 50 years ago; someone involved in the world of resis...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Kristen Eckert rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction-ww2, young-adult

For starters, I have a hard time thinking of this book as targeted at young-adults. It's written from the point of view of three main characters and the transitions are often subtle, making it difficult for younger readers to follow. Two of the main characters are adult men, soldiers in the Dutch resistance and their problems are very mature in nature: jealousy of adult relationships, insecurities exacerbated by a pharmaceutical provided to increase alertness, and the events of the war itself. T...more

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Mar 05, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, historical-fiction, young-adult

This is a dark, suspenseful, well-crafted novel neatly weaving two parallel stories—one set in WWII Holland, the other set in present-day England. In the present day we meet fifteen-year-old Tamar, a girl whose life has already been beset by tragedy with the mysterious disappearance of her father. When her grandfather commits suicide and leaves her a box containing and odd assortment of clues, she embarks upon a journey to discover the reason for his suicide. The answers—and the beginning of the...more This is a dark, suspenseful, well-crafted novel neatly weaving two parallel stories—one set in WWII Holland, the other set in present-day England. In the present day we meet fifteen-year-old Tamar, a girl whose life has already been beset by tragedy with the mysterious disappearance of her father. When her grandfather commits suicide and leaves her a box containing and odd assortment of clues, she embarks upon a journey to discover the reason for his suicide. The answers—and the beginning of the story—can be found in the life of a Dutch resistance fighter with the code name Tamar and that of his wireless operator Dart in Nazi-occupied Holland during the hunger winter of 1944 and 1945. No more needs to be said about the plot, as the book’s subtitle says it all: “A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal.”

To a great extent, the events of the book are highly predictable. Is this a flaw? Possibly. I was more interested in the unexpected ways the story explores the darkness of the human soul. The Nazi atrocities become almost ancillary as the story delves into the passion, resentment, envy, hatred, and violence within people who are supposed to be fighting on the same side. This book is not one of those cozy, atmospheric works of suspense or mystery that I will reread again and again in the years to come. I had a difficult time getting through it (the subject matter is on the darker end of my range). Nonetheless it is a tale that will stick with me for a long time. It is not a feel-good book, but it is beautiful in its truth (to borrow a bit awkwardly from Keats) and the present-day part of the story is hopeful. The book is highly entertaining, fantastically written, and I wholeheartedly recommend it for adults and young adults.

One last note on the audio book format: as someone who has listened to many audio books, I can say with some authority that this one is exceptionally well done. Possibly the best narration I have encountered yet (with the exception of Frank McCourt). The story uses two narrators, a man and a woman, whose voices more than do justice to every moment in the story—the humor, the tension, and the emotional scenes. I especially love the female narrator’s reading of Yoyo, the present-day Tamar’s Dutch cousin. Delightful!
(less)

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Dec 30, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-lit, realistic-fiction

A book written about two SOE (Dutch resistance fighters) during WWII, and their families grappling with their mysterious backgrounds. William Hyde is one of those resistance fighters, but his back story is anything but truthful. He then dies, in an accident that looks rather like a suicide attempt. He leaves his granddaughter a box filled with things from his past. For his granddaughter Tamar, this box is a huge mystery that sends her throughout the English countryside to discover who her grandf...more

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Dec 22, 2008 Bismarck Public Library rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

Tamar by Mal Peet is a very intriguing look at the resistance efforts against Nazi control in World War II. This book, set in the Netherlands, gives the account of men who risked their lives to infiltrate for the Allies. It describes how they passed by Nazis on a regular basis with false IDs and false occupations in order to carry out undercover operations. The book also described very vividly how difficult daily life was in the Netherlands at this time. Tamar received the Carnegie Medal in Engl...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Bookworm rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amazing-books, young-adult

This book is one of my favourites now! I haven't read a book for a while and this is a brilliant book. Mal Peet is a great author who manages to describe and jump between two different time zones but doesn't make the reader confused.
Two SOE agents are parachuted into Nazi invaded Holland. They go by the names of Tamar and Dart.
When her Grandad dies, a fifteen year old girl called Tamar inherits a box full of clues and messages.
She sets out trying to uncover the past and makes a startling dis...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Sean Camoni rated it 5 of 5 stars

Highly recommend. Warning, the rest is SPOILER-ish

I loved this book. It is haunting, beautiful, and so sad. The pace builds and quickens, then pulls back and lets you catch your breath before pushing you off a cliff. It's a wonderfully executed, taut drama.

Just one problem. I figured out the ending about 15 pages in. And this is a book with a twist of an ending. Now, it's not one of those twists that if you see it coming it ruins the book. And I think most people will probably see it about half...more

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About Mal Peet

Mal Peet grew up in North Norfolk, and studied English and American Studies at the University of Warwick. Later he moved to southwest England and worked at a variety of jobs before turning full-time to writing and illustrating in the early 1990s. With his wife, Elspeth Graham, he has written and illustrated many educational picture books for young children, and his cartoons have appeared in a numb...more

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“You do not win a war by dying for your country. You win a war by making sure that some poor bastard dies for his.” — 10 people liked it

“So? You think people stop talking to you when they are dead?” — 5 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/357160.Tamar?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320558676l/357160.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/357160.Tamar?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal by Mal Peet[/url]

Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal

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