Oorlogswinter is the tale of a young boy who by accident ends up helping the resistance. And that’s how this book describes the Second World War and its conflicts, it makes it small and local yet with the knowledge that it’s much broader. It also makes emotions bigger, when a child is scared or excited it shows in a less controlled way and that is how Oorlogswinter deals with these ups and downs. However, mostly, it’s a book set in a winter during the war in the Netherlands. With that as a scene, don’t expect huge fighting scenes and grand stand offs. They didn’t happen and weren’t witnessed by the main character.