I finished this book (Things We Couldn't Say) last night, and I will say that this is a book that will go back on my bookshelf. (Once I read a book I either give it to the local Goodwill, give it to a friend, or keep it for myself.) I appreciated this book enough that I want to keep it around in case I want to read it again at a later date.
What was so riveting about this book? Well, for starters, it's an autobiography of a woman (Diet Eman) who was a young woman in the Netherlands when Hitler came to power and invaded her country. Diet joined the resistance and did whatever she could to fight the Germans. Her story alone is worth reading.
However, Wayne's grandparents also were young people in the Netherlands at this same time. Undoubtedly, they faced many of the same struggles that Diet and her fiance Hein faced. This book gave me a lot of insight as to what Wayne's grandparents went through.
I knew that Grandpa had been in hiding, but I didn't know why. Perhaps it was because they were hiding Jews, or perhaps it was because any man in the Netherlands who was fit for work was sent to Germany to work so that their young men could fight. (Hmmm... I never knew that...)
Needless to say, I'm looking forward to our next visit with Grandma. I have a lot of questions that I want to ask her.
Regardless of whether or not you have ancestors who lived in the Netherlands during World War II, Diet's story is one that will touch your heart. The constant danger she is in... The emotional struggles she goes through as she is imprisoned and separated from the one she loves... The loneliness... The spiritual highs and lows... Her book is painfully honest.
What I also appreciated about the book is the update at the end as to what happened to most of the people in the book. She must have done a lot of research to find out who moved where and what they did for a living after the war.
If you're looking for a good read, look no further. "Things We Couldn't Say" is definitely worth picking up.
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