Book Review of The Dutch Orphan by Carole Mertz
The Dutch Orphan is a novel by Ellen Keith about Jewish children who are threatened by deportation from The Netherlands and who are separated from their parents and placed in temporary and precarious housing within Dutch orphanages. Keith covers the period from 1940 to the liberation in May, 1945. She tells the story with sensitivity and care. And with an unforgettable twist. Its focus falls on two adult sisters: one, Johanna, chooses the way of Resistance against the Nazis, the other, Liesbeth, aligns herself with her husband and his cooperation with the Dutch Fascist Party, not believing the extent to which the Nazis will go to gain control over her countrymen. Meanwhile, we see the Dutch population move steadily to the point of starvation.
Though numerous novels exist about this painful period of world history, I find unique elements in Keith’s telling of it. Foremost is the importance of the Canadian forces who, along with British soldiers, accomplished the final collapse of the Nazis’ control within The Netherlands at a crucial point toward the end of 1944. Secondly, Keith is most adept at handling the pacing and nuances as the various forms of resistance develop. Her description of the rescue of a particular orphan reads with the chill of a mystery novel. In the final third of the novel, the author carries her story inside Ravensbrück, the infamous camp in northern Germany.
In Amsterdam, Johanna is increasingly drawn into Resistance activity. She strives with her husband to find new hiding places for Jews despite the risk of deportation. At one point, putting her pregnancy at risk, she adeptly guards her bicycle from the Nazis. Though all bicycles were soon taken, this vehicle will later enable her to ride farther out into the countryside in desperate attempts to obtain food.
Some final chapters of Keith’s narration seem hurried and perhaps slightly implausible. But her general characterization reveals the oft-documented chaos of the time and discloses the fears people endured both from without, and from within their consciences. “How and where will we find food?” “What if my husband is discovered giving aid to Jewish people?” “Unless I cooperate how will I keep my family safe?” “What is a more effective method of confrontation, and how can we avoid the use of firearms?”
In contrast to Johanna’s willful resistance, her sister Liesbeth enjoys a luxuriant life, never wanting for food, and taking pleasure in nights out with her husband as they attend dinners with the fascists. These events are always well furnished with food and drink. Liesbeth’s husband enjoys the comforts and status they bring him.
Finally the Nazi stronghold within the country collapses. At page 293 of the novel, the Dutch citizens hear Prime Minister Gerbrandy’s announcement:
“Now that the Allied armies have penetrated the Dutch borders, I am convinced you will give them a warm and dignified reception, which they deserve as liberators of our country and for destroying the tyrants. The hour of liberation has struck.”
Much of The Dutch Orphan depicts seemingly ordinary people who work miracles to save lives and make existence less painful for those living under extreme repression. It’s reassuring that books of this nature keep appearing, reminding us that good people resolved to resist atrocious acts existed throughout the Nazi era. Hurrah to novelists who continue to present outstanding accounts that testify to the deeds of ordinary people, brave enough to act boldly in the face of evil.
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