Betty is our protagonist and comes across as such an inspiring young girl. She put her own life at risk, countless times, in order to try to save children from being deported to the dreaded concentration camps as the war progressed.
Most of us are aware of the concentration camps and what happened within, but I’m pretty sure few of us are aware of all the differing struggles going on elsewhere. The Orphans of Amsterdam is a heartbreaking story which once again shows the cruelty that happened around eighty years ago and once again I found it difficult to believe that human beings could be so callous. That thousands of children were taken from their mothers and simply put on trains to die is unfathomable.
If you are interested in learning about what happened during the war, then I would definitely recommend The Orphans of Amsterdam.
I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this book, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Orphans of Amsterdam by Elle Van Rijn.
Book Description
Amsterdam, 1941. My hands are so shaky I’m fumbling. Where to hide? I pull open the dresser, throw aside the blankets, put the baby in and push the drawer shut, just as the nursery door swings open. The German officer marches into the room, yelling over the crying downstairs: ‘You! Grab all the children – now!’
Based on the heart-wrenching true story of an ordinary young woman who risked everything to save countless children from the Nazis.
My name is Betty. Until a few months ago, I was just like every other nursery teacher in the city… then the Nazis came and began to take our children away. Now, the nursery is part of a German deportation centre. Little ones and their families are being forced across the border, to a place called Auschwitz. No one comes back.
So when I hear there’s an underground network to save the children, I know I have to help. Sometimes the parents won’t be parted from them, and sometimes we can’t get to them in time – there are spies everywhere. But each time I smuggle the warm, innocent bundle of a sleeping baby past the Nazi guards and into the arms of the resistance, I know it’s worth the risk.
Tonight, in the pitch black, we are readying five little ones to escape ahead of a transport tomorrow. We don’t know where they’re going, and they may never see their parents again. As I button their coats and smooth their hair, my hands trembling, I hear the nightmare sound of heavy army boots on the stairs. My breath catches and my blood runs cold…
A heartbreaking and gripping read that will have you reaching for the tissues. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Nightingale.
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Author Bio
Elle van Rijn is a Dutch actress, screenwriter of series and films, and author of columns, although her greatest passion lies with writing novels.
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