Odin's Promise

Odin's Promise is a historical novel for middle-grade readers, a story of the first year of German occupation of Norway as seen through the eyes of a young girl. Eleven-year-old Mari grew up tucked safely under the wings of her parents, grandma, and her older siblings. When Hitler's troops invaded Norway in Spring 1940 in the early days of World War II, she is forced to grow beyond her "little girl" nickname and comfortable patterns to deal with harsh new realities. At her side for support and protection is Odin, her faithful elkhound. After Mari witnesses a troubling event on the mountainside, truths are revealed: the involvement of her family and friends in the resistance; the value of humor in surviving hard times; the hidden radio in her grandma's cottage. Odin, not one for quiet resistance, makes an enemy of soldiers who patrol the area. Mari, her family, and her neighbors are drawn into the activities of the underground resistance movement in which young and old find a way to oppose the occupying forces and show their love for their country. The year will bring many challenges, as Mari confronts danger, develops her inner strength and voice, and finds she is able to endure hardship and heartache.