Hailey Rogers’ life has returned to normal: hanging out with her boyfriend, Blake, training for cross-country, and slogging through the rest of junior year. No more family secrets, hidden maps, and discoveries of Nazi looted art. But then summer arrives, and she’s asked to share her great-grandparents’ story. While in Israel, she receives an unexpected note that upends her life. A globe-trotting adventure ensues with Blake and a cast of colorful new characters as she learns more about her mysterious great-grandfather and his gut-wrenching past. A shocking discovery will have all in the group reeling, sending Hailey back to Texas in pieces. Hailey tries to forget the past but realizes sometimes it’s too important to just let it be.
In this richly historical and heartfelt follow-up to Hello, Goodbye, Hailey learns that people aren’t always what they seem, and that love comes in many surprising forms.
“Don’t Let Me Down is a complex, captivating novel . . . . (that) delivers a powerful story about family history and the struggles of growing up.” —The Children’s Book Review
“Don’t Let Me Down is both a masterful sequel and stand alone triumph. Only Kate Stollenwerck could weave together a thrilling storyline; complex, priceless intergenerational relationships; the authentic inner-workings of a modern teenage psyche; and WWII history that we must reckon with today. This novel has my heart.” —Emily Wolf, author of My Thirty-First Year (and Other Calamities)
“Kate Stollenwerck’s timely novel is a story that matters. Hailey, our teenage protagonist, has a voice that rings true, and readers will be drawn into her world by Stollenwerck’s clean prose. History, culture, family, and relationships are examined, as they are at the heart of this enjoyable and compelling novel.” —Corie Adjmi, author The Marriage Box and Life and Other Shortcomings
“Don’t Let Me Down is an extraordinary way to learn about too-little known but crucial Nazi history: the theft of art from Jewish families. Stollenwerck has done her research well and expertly weaves this heinous history into a com pelling young adult adventure story that shines a light on Nazi crimes that, shamefully, remain unfinished business into the twenty-first century. —Joanne Intrator, author of Summons to Berlin: Nazi Theft and A Daughter’s Quest for Justice
“Kate Stollenwerck seamlessly combines international intrigue, charming grandparents, and teen love in Don’t Let Me Down. This intergenerational caper takes the reader from embassies in Paris to a ranch in Texas while chasing down the missing pieces of Hailey’s grandfather’s epic life that will keep you turning pages late into the night.” —Kristin Nilsen, author of Worldwide Crush