When 14-year-old Evan and his evangelical pacifist father travel to Gallipoli as volunteers with the army medical corps during the Great War, nothing can prepare them for what is to come. Evan’s dream of adventure is shattered by the horror of trench warfare, a nightmare that drives his father mad.

So when the two find themselves inadvertently behind enemy lines, it is up to Evan to find their way back to safety. But not before an unlikely alliance with the enemy leads to friendship. Evan discovers that, regardless of religious belief or country of origin, the differences between people are trivial and their similarities profound. Evan’s journal charts his attempt to understand both the irreverent, wise-cracking humour of Aussies in the trenches and the insanity of war itself. His journey through Turkey, Thrace, Bulgaria and Greece had me racing through Google Maps to keep up.

Kerry Greenwood is the bestselling author of the Phryne Fisher mysteries and The Long Walk (one of my favourites of her many books for children). Evan’s Gallipoli is a saga of such depth and breadth that I can only marvel at the level of research involved in writing such a remarkable story. Highly recommended for ages 10 and up.

Athina Clarke