The 2018 Costa Book of the Year winner was announced today. And the winner is …

The Cut Out Girl: A Story of War and Family, Lost and Found by Bart van Es

The Cut Out Girl is a book based on the true story of a young Jewish girl, Lien De Jong, in the Netherlands who hides from the Nazis in homes of  foster families who were part of an underground network. One of the families within the network belonged to the author’s grandparents.

Normal People by Sally Rooney, which won the Costa Novel of the Year was favored to take home the Book of the Year prize. The Cut Out Girl makes this the 7th time a biography has won the overall prize. Along with the honor, Bart van Es also gets to take home a £30,000 check