Half a century ago, Anne Frank was a sensation, and remained so from the day the world came to know about her, and the little girl was the face of the millions subjected to torture and genocide by a barbaric regime with its fraudulent ideology, using symbols and terminology stolen from India and twisting them until they came to mean completely opposite things outside India due to the barbaric acts of that regime.
Most of the survivors held their silence and got busy with life, trying to recover and rebuild everything they'd lost, education, families, careers. It's only when they'd had some respite that they began to tell their stories, since they realised their history shouldn't be lost, lest the holocaust perpetrators win in wiping out their existence and memories, and denying they ever existed.
So then memoirs have been coming out, and more. There is work being done by others to pen memoirs of those who didn't do so themselves, covering various aspects of the times.
One of them is about people who survived by hiding like the Frank family, although Anne and her sister didn't, since they were taken by Gestapo. This work is about people who survived by hiding in a forest, except it's based on reality but isn't a documented history based work of research. The author uses stories she heard from people she knew, and the forest is real too. Names are changed, and people in the story are based on persons real and known to her.
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Unlike the resistance in Poland where two brothers led a whole crowd to live in the forest, which developed circumstantially, here the author has a group of men plan the rudimentary huts in the forest and the hiding of people there, a group that has no reason other than antagonism towards the invading barbarians that nazis were, and a solidarity of their own that did not see Jews as anything different. This character of the hidden village, built on purpose rather than developed by those escaping, is based on fact of history in Netherlands, and was the inspiration for the author.
Perhaps unavoidably, there is a little reflection of Anne Frank in one main character, Sofie, as she complains about the situation despite the great trouble people have gone to for protecting and supplying those in hiding. Not that Anne Frank was complaining, but that it's the normal behaviour of the two in abnormal circumstances that's similar.
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The author keeps any references to any of the known historical events of the era vague at best, with the effect that the book is in danger of seeming like a light romance with the time frame only as a background. But the events mentioned in the story relating to the characters keep it anchored to the skeletal structure of history, of the hidden village in a dutch forest, behind, however hidden. The effect is of these people seeming to be in a thick fog, with rare glimpses of known events of the time, appearing now and then like sudden appearances in fog.
Anne Frank on the other hand hardly if ever mentioned any events outside, but it was always the menacing presence that remained outside and down on the street, with the story in the attic of silences and whispers of the three families crammed together, and of their thoughts and emotions. There was no fog, to extend the imagery to describe the difference between Anne Frank and this book, only attic windows that no one dared to peek out through to look at the street, so to speak.
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"Laura closed the book she’d been reading. ‘When I first came here, all I could think of was returning to Ghent. It was everything I’d ever known and couldn’t imagine being happy anywhere else. And I really hated it here.’
"Sofie laughed. ‘Don’t I remember! I was shocked when you told me you were fifteen. I thought you were about ten.’
"‘Thanks."
At that age, surely no young person thinks it's a compliment to be taken for a ten year old?
Most of the time the story is almost a fairy tale, with occasional appearances of the big bad wolves that were Germans who remain for most part in the background as the menacing reason why everyone is hiding away in the forest parted from home and family, school and more. But the forest huts and new friends, pilots dropping from skies and hiding in forests, tentative budding romances of teens interspersed with what seems like adventures but were times of stress and fear, all go towards making it the fairy tale world.
But surprisingly, there are events and tensions, such as marriages straining and people leaving, that surely belongmore in, say, California or New York, in happier times, not in beautiful little Dutch villages under German occupation? Somehow one doesn't expect families breaking apart while there is a raging war with bombings and a holocaust, killing millions!
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A rare reference in this book to time frame:-
"‘It’s not right that they get it all and we’re virtually starving,’ grumbled old Mevrouw Stock. Sara bumped into her more often than she cared for. The old woman stooped over the meagre pile of roots, picking them over disdainfully. ‘Have you been over to the butchers? Nothing. Not even a sausage,’ she continued, talking to no one in particular.
"‘What do you expect after nearly four and a half years of war? We’re doing the best we can under the circumstances,’ said Mr Vogel, shaking his head in Sara’s direction. ‘Haven’t you heard how hard they’ve got it over in the West? Nothing, they have. The shops are shut and people are dying in the streets.’"
"‘What else have you heard?’ asked Sara, watching him. She felt safe he didn’t know about Max.
"‘They have coupons for either one bowl of soup a day or for some potatoes. But it’s a joke. The greengrocers are all shut so there are no potatoes. And the soup is nothing more than a bowl of hot water. I’ve heard that some people are digging up tulip bulbs as there’s nothing else.’
"‘Tulip bulbs? What on earth can they do with them?’
"‘Boil them and eat them like a potato. At least they’re nutritious.’
"‘Can’t we do anything to help?’ Sara was close to tears."
"‘Believe me, we’ve tried. The Germans always manage to intercept any supplies. You see, it’s not just the Dutch who are suffering from hunger.’
"Sara felt anger well up inside her chest. ‘It’s all so pointless. Why don’t they just go back to Germany?’
"Mr Vogel gave a short laugh. ‘Can you see Hitler agreeing to that? The man’s a lunatic and as long as he’s in power it can only get worse.’"
"Clutching her shopping bag in her arms, she walked a little unsteadily over to the grocers. There was nothing she could do.
"‘Good morning, Mevrouw Mulder,’ said the grocer cheerily. ‘I’ve managed to get you a little something. He bent down and pulled out a bulging brown paper bag from under the counter. Sara peered inside and her eyes welled up. She hadn’t seen eggs and sugar for months.
"‘Are you sure?’ she said, her voice breaking.
"‘Well, of course. You told me it’s young Jan’s birthday and he has to have a cake, doesn’t he?’
"Sara could have hugged him, but instead gave him a broad smile. ‘I’ll keep you a slice, you can be sure,’ she said happily. She began to fish in her purse for some coins, but he would have nothing of it. ‘Your Jan has been doing some great work for…’ he jerked his head in the direction of the woods. ‘It’s a little thank you. Let’s leave it at that.’"
One of the faults in writings of many authors who are in a hurry is that dialogues and narratives of very diverse characters all sound like a model high school exercise in English language.
"‘My father died of a heart attack when I was fourteen and my mother never recovered. She was in poor health anyway, something to do with her lungs. I was seventeen and on my own, no brothers, no sisters. I went to live with my aunt who encouraged me to take up a trade. That’s how I became a carpenter. It meant I was able to avoid conscription. It was a wonderful time. I was young, no responsibilities and doing something I knew I was good at. After qualifying, I was taken on by a local furniture workshop in my hometown and was soon promoted on account of my skills. My boss was a patient man, but very keen to pass on his knowledge. I learnt everything I know from him. The war put a stop to it all and I got my call-up papers. My aunt said I should join, but all I could think of was losing the job I loved. Fighting a war filled me with horror. When is it ever justified to kill a man?’ Petr paused for a moment, shaking his head. ‘I was young and foolish. Didn’t think I’d be caught, but I made a stupid mistake which cost me my freedom. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about that now.’"
No clue there about the nationality, age, education level, life experience. Certainly one wouldn't guess this was in a language that the person was new to.
"Laura closed the book she’d been reading. ‘When I first came here, all I could think of was returning to Ghent. It was everything I’d ever known and couldn’t imagine being happy anywhere else. And I really hated it here.’
"Sofie laughed. ‘Don’t I remember! I was shocked when you told me you were fifteen. I thought you were about ten.’
"‘Thanks."
At that age, surely no young person thinks it's a compliment to be taken for a ten year old?
................................................................................................
Most of the time the story is almost a fairy tale, with occasional appearances of the big bad wolves that were Germans who remain for most part in the background as the menacing reason why everyone is hiding away in the forest parted from home and family, school and more. But the forest huts and new friends, pilots dropping from skies and hiding in forests, tentative budding romances of teens interspersed with what seems like adventures but were times of stress and fear, all go towards making it the fairy tale world.
But surprisingly, there are events and tensions, such as marriages straining and people leaving, that surely belongmore in, say, California or New York, in happier times, not in beautiful little Dutch villages under German occupation? Somehow one doesn't expect families breaking apart while there is a raging war with bombings and a holocaust, killing millions!
................................................................................................
A rare reference in this book to time frame:-
"‘It’s not right that they get it all and we’re virtually starving,’ grumbled old Mevrouw Stock. Sara bumped into her more often than she cared for. The old woman stooped over the meagre pile of roots, picking them over disdainfully. ‘Have you been over to the butchers? Nothing. Not even a sausage,’ she continued, talking to no one in particular.
"‘What do you expect after nearly four and a half years of war? We’re doing the best we can under the circumstances,’ said Mr Vogel, shaking his head in Sara’s direction. ‘Haven’t you heard how hard they’ve got it over in the West? Nothing, they have. The shops are shut and people are dying in the streets.’"
"‘What else have you heard?’ asked Sara, watching him. She felt safe he didn’t know about Max.
"‘They have coupons for either one bowl of soup a day or for some potatoes. But it’s a joke. The greengrocers are all shut so there are no potatoes. And the soup is nothing more than a bowl of hot water. I’ve heard that some people are digging up tulip bulbs as there’s nothing else.’
"‘Tulip bulbs? What on earth can they do with them?’
"‘Boil them and eat them like a potato. At least they’re nutritious.’
"‘Can’t we do anything to help?’ Sara was close to tears."
"‘Believe me, we’ve tried. The Germans always manage to intercept any supplies. You see, it’s not just the Dutch who are suffering from hunger.’
"Sara felt anger well up inside her chest. ‘It’s all so pointless. Why don’t they just go back to Germany?’
"Mr Vogel gave a short laugh. ‘Can you see Hitler agreeing to that? The man’s a lunatic and as long as he’s in power it can only get worse.’"
"Clutching her shopping bag in her arms, she walked a little unsteadily over to the grocers. There was nothing she could do.
"‘Good morning, Mevrouw Mulder,’ said the grocer cheerily. ‘I’ve managed to get you a little something. He bent down and pulled out a bulging brown paper bag from under the counter. Sara peered inside and her eyes welled up. She hadn’t seen eggs and sugar for months.
"‘Are you sure?’ she said, her voice breaking.
"‘Well, of course. You told me it’s young Jan’s birthday and he has to have a cake, doesn’t he?’
"Sara could have hugged him, but instead gave him a broad smile. ‘I’ll keep you a slice, you can be sure,’ she said happily. She began to fish in her purse for some coins, but he would have nothing of it. ‘Your Jan has been doing some great work for…’ he jerked his head in the direction of the woods. ‘It’s a little thank you. Let’s leave it at that.’"
................................................................................................
One of the faults in writings of many authors who are in a hurry is that dialogues and narratives of very diverse characters all sound like a model high school exercise in English language.
"‘My father died of a heart attack when I was fourteen and my mother never recovered. She was in poor health anyway, something to do with her lungs. I was seventeen and on my own, no brothers, no sisters. I went to live with my aunt who encouraged me to take up a trade. That’s how I became a carpenter. It meant I was able to avoid conscription. It was a wonderful time. I was young, no responsibilities and doing something I knew I was good at. After qualifying, I was taken on by a local furniture workshop in my hometown and was soon promoted on account of my skills. My boss was a patient man, but very keen to pass on his knowledge. I learnt everything I know from him. The war put a stop to it all and I got my call-up papers. My aunt said I should join, but all I could think of was losing the job I loved. Fighting a war filled me with horror. When is it ever justified to kill a man?’ Petr paused for a moment, shaking his head. ‘I was young and foolish. Didn’t think I’d be caught, but I made a stupid mistake which cost me my freedom. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about that now.’"
No clue there about the nationality, age, education level, life experience. Certainly one wouldn't guess this was in a language that the person was new to.
................................................................................................
Curious dialogue, here.
"Arend’s been more of a concern. I took him in on a whim, really. I suppose you could say he filled a space.’ She smiled weakly.
"‘Didn’t you think about the risk?’
"‘It seemed a lot less risky than hiding an American pilot on the run. And I thought it would be company for Jan, though I’m not sure he needed it. He’s so independent.’"
Curious, because it's much more befitting a woman in backwoods Midwest or South dealing with loneliness of her younger son and herself, after the husband has left them and the elder son is away, than someone in nazi occupied territory saving life of a child by hiding him.
"News about the fateful discovery of Berkenhout swept through Kampenveld. How ironic that Dolle Dinsdag, Mad Tuesday, came to mean something quite different from the original joy they’d all experienced when they believed they were about to be liberated by the Allies. One short day in September 1944, when all the worries of the previous five years disappeared before cruelly returning with the realisation that the Germans were far from ready to give up. And the double blow as so many were connected in some way with the inhabitants of Berkenhout. For many people, Dolle Dinsdag became etched on minds as the day after Berkenhout was raided. Hidden from the Germans all those years, only to be discovered at the very moment everyone believed the war had ended. That day, joy turned to terror, as houses, barns and outhouses filled up with Jews who had fled in panic. Pandemonium ensued over the following days and weeks as Dick Foppen and his trusted helpers had struggled to accommodate so many evacuees and kept them safely hidden from the prying eyes of any passing Germans."
"Their friendship seemed to do her good and occasionally she’d smile when he deliberately put on a funny ‘Hercule Poirot’ accent."
However funny the Belgian French detective might sound to English speakers, surely he'd not sound strange to anyone Dutch?
Curious dialogue, here.
"Arend’s been more of a concern. I took him in on a whim, really. I suppose you could say he filled a space.’ She smiled weakly.
"‘Didn’t you think about the risk?’
"‘It seemed a lot less risky than hiding an American pilot on the run. And I thought it would be company for Jan, though I’m not sure he needed it. He’s so independent.’"
Curious, because it's much more befitting a woman in backwoods Midwest or South dealing with loneliness of her younger son and herself, after the husband has left them and the elder son is away, than someone in nazi occupied territory saving life of a child by hiding him.
................................................................................................
"News about the fateful discovery of Berkenhout swept through Kampenveld. How ironic that Dolle Dinsdag, Mad Tuesday, came to mean something quite different from the original joy they’d all experienced when they believed they were about to be liberated by the Allies. One short day in September 1944, when all the worries of the previous five years disappeared before cruelly returning with the realisation that the Germans were far from ready to give up. And the double blow as so many were connected in some way with the inhabitants of Berkenhout. For many people, Dolle Dinsdag became etched on minds as the day after Berkenhout was raided. Hidden from the Germans all those years, only to be discovered at the very moment everyone believed the war had ended. That day, joy turned to terror, as houses, barns and outhouses filled up with Jews who had fled in panic. Pandemonium ensued over the following days and weeks as Dick Foppen and his trusted helpers had struggled to accommodate so many evacuees and kept them safely hidden from the prying eyes of any passing Germans."
................................................................................................
However funny the Belgian French detective might sound to English speakers, surely he'd not sound strange to anyone Dutch?
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The end, unsatisfactory.
The end, unsatisfactory.
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January 09, 2020 - January 11, 2020.
ISBN 13: 9789492371249 (ebook)
ISBN 13: 9789492371256 (paperback)
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