Bart Van Es

Just when you think there are no new angles to stories about the Holocaust something comes along that is both desperately tragic but also vital and healing. Lientje’s story is heartbreaking, but it’s related here with compassion and love. It’s about families and surviving. The Dutch don’t come out of this in any great light, but it’s far less about blame than understanding.

A sensitively told family story, which also paints a good picture of the Dutch political scene during the German occupation. Reading it, I learned a lot about the Netherlands during WWII, and I admired Van Es’s skill in manoeuvring what must have been something of a minefield, given that his grandparents were hiding and caring for the young Jewish girl at the centre of the account and at some point had a significant falling out with her. I was saddened to read of her abuse by those who show more were later entrusted with her care. show less

Bart Van Es won the Costa Award for Biography and for Book of the Year in 2018 and brought to light an area of WWII that I knew little about, namely, the hiding of Jewish children in the Netherlands, from the Nazis. Interestingly, Van Es, an Oxford professor, discovered that his grandparents had hidden the particular child that he discovered in his research, making his quest so much more interesting to him. Lientje, although elderly now, is still alive and the author was able to interview show more her. One thing he wanted to know was why she had had a falling out with his grandparents after the war. After all, they were among those who went out of their way to save her after her parents died in Auschwitz. He uncovers disturbing information that reveals that sometimes people who try to do the right thing and come to the aid of those less fortunate are ill equipped to handle the trauma that these children face and may even make it worse. Excellent narrating of the book by the author. show less

In the words of Maria Condo This one is not bringing me joy and I have read 50% of the book and that has taken me a week. I think it is time to part company. I struggle with giving up on a book as some books do turn around and am always afraid I will miss out by not finishing the read.

I am not sure what the problem with this book is but I am just plodding along reading and feel I am not retaining any of the information or making any connection with the characters. I asked myself one show more question half ways through the book what is the names of the main characters in the story and I honestly could not answer so felt it was time to perhaps put this to one side for now.

I have debated about dumping this book as it is someone's life story and its so difficult to be the judge and jury especially when its a true story of a young Jewish girl in Holland under Nazi occupation who finds refuge in the homes of an underground network of foster families, but having read numerous books on the second world war this one just isn't holding my attention. show less