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Behind the Fireplace
- Memoirs of a Girl Working in the Dutch Resistance
- Narrated by: Esther Wane
- Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins
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Behind the Fireplace
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Summary
As World War II progressed, the Okma family took six Jewish refugees into their house, hiding them in a secret room behind their fireplace. The youngest daughter, Kieks, joined the Resistance, delivering illegal newspapers, guiding British parachutists around The Hague and preparing safe houses for Special Forces who were dropped in from England.
As the war continued, she fell in love with a Resistance commander, and worked with him to rescue wounded colleagues, steal weapons from German arms dumps, and move weapons around the country. They had a tumultuous parting and she continued her work, acting as a courier with a two hundred km bike ride to the north of Holland. When she returned home, she appreciated how much the war had changed her and her boyfriend, and prepared to try a reconciliation.
She escaped a firing squad four times, and survived the war, mentally scarred by her experiences. She sought help, but the help she was offered came in a poisoned chalice, and she kept her secret to herself for almost 50 years. Her family in Holland was recognized by Yad Vashem, the Israeli organization that records those who saved Jews from the Holocaust, and she was awarded a pension for her work in the Resistance by the Dutch foundation Stichting 1940-1945.
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What listeners say about Behind the Fireplace
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cathy
- 10-11-23
An absolute must read!
I’m fascinated by this period of history and came across this audiobook by accident, I’m so glad that I did. I was totally captivated by the bravery of Kiek’s, her family and her friends. This is a story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. How they persevered through so many hardships to save the lives of complete and utter strangers at such risk to their own lives speaks absolute volumes about their courage. They truly are unsung heroes.
Although a this is a factual book, it’s narrated really well and it actually made me gasp out loud on more than one occasion.
I don’t want to spoil it but felt so angry and sad at the treatment of the family post war. It’s so heartbreaking.
I would sincerely like to thank the author of this book for recording Kiek’s experiences so they are never forgotten. This book should be compulsory for every school child.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Coops
- 21-11-23
important to hear this
This is not a story it's a real testimony to a lived experience. Important that it is shared.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anon
- 23-04-24
V important to listen to this account
It is very important that you listen to this account. So much of what we know is from films & dramatisations.
But real life accounts like this remind us of the horrors of National Socialism and the suffering imposed on the Jews of Europe & the occupided peoples.
It is still important now to celebrate the bravery of those who fought on in Europe against the Germans, risking their lives for others.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eleanor
- 16-04-23
I couldn’t stop listening…
This compelling and poignant story brings to life the absolutely extraordinary experiences of a member of the Dutch resistance.
The unfailing courage and compassion demonstrated by Kieks has much to teach future generations.
Almost equally as extraordinary as Kiek’s story, is the context against which it struggled to emerge. As a modern reader, the only thing harder to comprehend than the bravery and brutality seen at that time, is the idea that its heroes and their testimonies should experience such a reception in the near aftermath.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amy Moon
- 14-08-23
1:50am and I’ve just finished it! Compelling
A fascinating, compelling account of one woman’s fight against the Nazis ruling her country. Really well told, and the fact that you find out what happened later brings home how recent this all was, and how many other silent heroes we may have rubbed shoulders with. Deserves to be a best seller.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 27-11-23
What people went through
I was disappointed with the story teller. She was very bland, the tone of her voice didn’t change throughout the story.
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