
Member Reviews

I always find it hard to summarise a survival story; the book is un-put-downable, I can't call it enjoyable but it's a compulsive read. Edith's story is one of complete normality, until it wasn't. As a young girl, in her liberal Jewish Family, she lived a sheltered life - full of fun, frivolity and boys! But slowly, her world began to change until eventually, 'Edith' went into hiding and she lived as Nettie, to survive the remainder of the war.
Told through the authors diary entries and then through letters written by her loved ones interspersed with her thoughts, this is a heartbreaking tale and an important one. It's shocking really, how slowly the world changed initially and this is the first story of its kind that I have read. I've read other holocaust survivors accounts and Anne Frank's diary but this is the first instance of someone hiding 'in plain sight'. It's crippling; you feel her loneliness and experiences first hand. There's a quote in particular from Edith's Father about poison that really resonates.
We must remember history, so that it isn't repeated.

'One can live without pleasure, but one can not live without hope.'
This is the story of Edith Van Hessen, a Jewish girl from The Hague, sent to live in hiding in Breda during the Second World War.
Filled with joy, sorrow, and strength that knows no bounds, this book was a thought-provoking and heart-breaking read.
We get to know Edith before the war in the Netherlands begins through diary entries, which show us a popular and rambunctious girl with her whole life ahead of her. But soon, this changes, and through letters sent to and from family members, we learn of the hardships faced by both Edith and immediate members of her family.
Re-publishing on 27th February 2025 by Little, Brown books, UK.
Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to receive a copy of this book via Netgalley.