Based on a true story this tells of bravery and so much more in Holland around
1941 in the midst of WW2. Franz is sixteen and has helped on his fathers farm
for as long as he can remember. Most mornings his father goes to the prison to
collect the potato peeling which they then use for the cattle. The prison is now
a camp, Amersfoort Concentration Camp, run by the Germans. Many of the
farm workers have either been conscripted by the Germans to work over the
border or have fled in fear. Franz and his younger brother now go to the camp
on their horse drawn cart to collect the peelings. Whilst there he chats to a
prisoner , Theo, who longs to find out about his family and Franz hatches a
plan- one that may put him and others in danger but means so much to the
prisoners and their well being. This is the story of Franz, Theo and others who
risked everything to give prisoners small letters from home and hope in a
time of unimaginable fear.
Wow! Where do I begin? Respect and admiration feel so little in saying about
this very brave and unselfish group. The daily fear and knowledge that people
are being arrested for so very little- possibly looking Jewish- as Franz’s
girlfriends father was or for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and
arrested for being against the fatherland. An inspirational read and one of
hope, joy and that sometimes it's the little things that mean the most.
Loved it.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
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About the Book:
1944, Amersfoort Concentration Camp, Holland. Based on a true story, the unforgettable tale of two young lovers who risked everything to keep hope alive in the very depths of hell.
On a cold, dark day in a tiny Dutch village, Saskia and her boyfriend Frans watch as Nazi soldiers force thousands of prisoners towards Amersfoort Concentration Camp. Their hearts break as they see the desperate faces of innocent men and women and realise that the war is closer to them than it’s ever been before…
Saskia’s father’s shop is raided when the guards suspect that he is Jewish, and Frans is soon forced to enter the concentration camp every day to collect scraps of food as it’s the only way to feed the animals on his family’s farm. But despite the growing fear the couple feel, when a prisoner begs Frans to send a letter to his beloved reassuring her he is alive, they know they must risk everything to help him. They smuggle his letter out, right under the noses of the Nazis. And eventually they ferry hundreds of messages for prisoners, bringing them hope in the darkest moments of their lives.
But every letter Frans gets out of the camp puts him in even more danger.
And every reply Saskia manages to collect is a risk.
And then Saskia is led into Kamp Amersfoort and is forced to wear a yellow star.
Inside, she cannot ignore the pain of the other prisoners, and Frans knows she will be putting herself in more danger to help them – attracting the attention of the guards. The couple know they must act. Everyone says it’s impossible to escape the camp, but it’s the only option they have left. Their love has kept them together but is it enough to help them survive?
A gripping story of love, betrayal and courage. Readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and anything by Fiona Valpy will never forget this heartbreakingly beautiful novel and the great sacrifices Saskia and Frans made to change the fate of the world.
Imogen Matthews is an Oxford-based, award-winning author and journalist with an interest in forgotten stories from WW2 Holland. Imogen was born in Rijswijk, Holland, to a Dutch mother and English father who moved the family to England when Imogen was very young. All her life, she listened to her mother’s stories about her life in Holland, in particular the hardships she faced during the Hunger Winter in 1944-5, which has had a profound impact on her writing.
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