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VANGO by Timothée de Fombelle Kirkus Star

VANGO

Between Sky and Earth

From the Vango series, volume 1

by Timothée de Fombelle ; translated by Sarah Ardizzone

Pub Date: Oct. 1st, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7196-9
Publisher: Candlewick

Minutes from joining the priesthood in 1934, Vango, who was found washed ashore on a tiny Italian island as a toddler, must suddenly avoid both arrest and a simultaneous assassination attempt.

Establishing his innocence while on the run across Europe requires untangling his mysterious past. The story’s got all the classic elements of swashbuckling adventure tales like The Count of Monte Cristo—except pistols replace swords, and the villains include men who would become leaders of the Axis powers. Flashbacks to Vango’s childhood demonstrate that his heroism is innate—such as when, at 10, he drops from a cliff into a sinking boat to save a neighbor. But fate doesn’t always reward valor, and de Fombelle notes that by saving his neighbor, the youngster “was embarking on a stormy life ahead.” But Vango’s gentleness and caring earn him loyalty (and potentially romance) from those who help him along his journey. These characters, like Vango, are inherently brave but also shaped by tragedy. Their courage is tested by war and their frustrating inability to counteract the growing power of the Nazi regime. Tension escalates when readers begin to suspect that Vango’s story is more closely interwoven with the conflicts of World War II than either he or his supporters realize.

Beautiful writing, intricate plotting, and breathless reveals—plus several plucky female leads—make this a must-read.

(Historical fiction. 12 & up)