Author Description
When the German army occupied Holland, Annie de Leeuw was eight years old. Because she was Jewish, the occupation put her in grave danger-she knew that to stay alive she would have to hide. Fortunately, a Gentile family, the Oostervelds, offered to help. For two years they hid Annie and her sister, Sini, in the cramped upstairs room of their farmhouse. Most people thought the war wouldn't last long. But for Annie and Sini -- separated from their family and confined to one tiny room -- the war seemed to go on forever.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
How does a young child maintain her identity and hope while living in forced confinement during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands? The author, Johanna Reiss, provides a firsthand account of her childhood experiences as a Jewish girl hiding from German forces. She utilizes her personal memories to construct a narrative framework that examines the psychological toll of isolation and the risks taken by those who provided sanctuary.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Detailed account of life in hiding within a rural Dutch farmhouse
- The logistical challenges of maintaining secrecy in a small, confined space
- The interpersonal dynamics between the hidden sisters and their Gentile protectors
Scope Limits
- The narrative does not provide a comprehensive military history of the occupation
- It does not cover the broader geopolitical strategies of the war beyond the author's immediate experience
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Educators and historians frequently cite this work as a primary text for introducing younger readers to the realities of the Holocaust. The prose is noted for its accessibility and its focus on the domestic, human-scale impact of wartime persecution.
Page Count:
138
Publication Date:
1973-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
019271354X
ISBN-13:
9780192713544
Memoir
Autobiography
Fiction
History
Survival
World War
Jews
Historical
Jewish Personal narratives
Holocaust