Eva Underground

By Dandi Daley Mackall

Book Overview

The year 1978 has been a pretty good one for Eva Lott. She has a terrific best friend, she's dating the best-looking guy in school, and she just made the varsity swim team. So when her widowed dad... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152054626
• ISBN13: 9780152054625
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 239 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Romantic, Suspenseful Tale

It's 1978 and Eva Lott is just your average American teenager getting ready to start her senior year of high school. That is, until her dad drags her kicking and screaming to Communist Poland. He wants to help the local people with a radical underground literacy movement and Eva soon becomes a part of that world. She learns that the average Pole does not have basic freedoms and that their daily lives are downright dangerous at times. Forget about good old American pepperoni pizza, rock-n-roll and freedom of speech. The government is always watching and listening, ready to suppress and control. Most people are poor, with little coal to heat their homes and even less to eat. (To paint a picture for you, bread with lard is something of a delicacy!) If you were in Eva's shoes, wouldn't you want to hop on the next flight out of the country and get back to the good old USA? That was Eva's plan. Until she met Tomek. Ah...Tomek! The handsome, moody and so intelligent boy who draws her into his world and captures her heart. Through their unusual friendship, Tomek opens Eva's eyes to the sheer beauty of the Polish country and the brave struggles of those fighting for freedom and independence within. I absolutely fell in love with this book. I think the romantic cover captured my heart from the start! I really enjoyed Eva's progression from your typical self involved American teen to the soulful, passionate person she became during her time in Poland. My favorite aspect of the novel, however, was the manner in which Eva's and Tomek's relationship unfolded. The believable, interesting situations were all beautifully woven through Dandi Daley Mackall's skillful narrative. Alternating the chapters between Eva and Tomek's point of view was a smart move. I think it allowed for a deeper connection to both characters with the way we were able to get inside their different mindsets. If you do read this novel, just wait until you get to the "plum harvest". Those chapters were my absolute favorite. I can honestly say I still carry them with me in my heart. In a 2006 interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith, Dandi Daley Mackall described how she based this book on her own experiences in Poland circa 1978. After reading Eva Underground, I could really appreciate the authenticity of the novel. It was evident to me that Mackall had her finger on the pulse of the Polish heart and soul. I also must admit, I knew little about what life was like in that tumultuous time period of history. Eva Underground really opened my eyes. I honestly felt like I was right there with Eva, suitcases in tote, following along in her footsteps. Eva Underground is a novel that should appeal to readers of all ages, with its romance, suspense and universal issues of freedom and hope.

Readers' Review

A surprising and delightful read for readers of all ages. The romance is real and deep, unlike most novels. The setting makes the communist era and "Iron Curtain" dangers come alive and feel relevant to today. And the language of the narrative rings of Chekov. Don't let this book slip between the cracks. Read it and pass the good word.

WARNING: YOU WILL CRY!

Eva's dad forces her to move to poland to help with the underground freedom movement against communism. The government is watching their every move, there is no hot water, there isn't even meat! All she wants is to go home. She plans the perfect escape. While her father is at a political funeral (great place for speaking against communism in public) she is going to sneak away to an airport. Too bad there isn't one in the city and even the closest ones don't even have flights to America! Soon Poland grows on her. She's made friends, found a dog and maybe even a new boyfriend. But happiness doesn't last forever. When the freedom movement is broken up she has a choice to make. She can stay in Poland and help put the movement back together, or she can go back home to Chicago.

A DELICIOUS READ!

This is a magnificent example of how a writer can write on a topic seldom covered and bring the reader right to a time and place he or she has never thought about before. Mackall does an awesome job of showing what life was like behind the "Iron Curtain." This book has it all--intrigue, romance, relationships, suspense, and characters that stay with you after you're done reading.