Netherlands Books

So much has been written about the Holocaust that its difficult to add anything of value, but now we actually do have something that does just that; Deborah Slier & Ian Shine's new book "Hidden Letters".
Thanks in particular to the extraordinary layout and design, we move naturally and effortlessly between the specifics of Flip's life and letters to the wider context of the Final Solution as it was implemented all over Europe and the entire Soviet Union. The usual numbing statistics come to life....the effect is at once informative and deeply emotional.

Hidden Letters is a treasure trove of letters and postcards written in 1942 by an 18 year old Dutch Jew named Philip "Flip" Slier, sent almost daily from Flip to his parents from within the forced labor camp that held Flip. Flip was eventually executed in the Nazi death camp Sobibor. Now translated and reprinted, completely unedited and enhanced with annotation from Deborah Slier and her husband Ian Shine, Hidden Letters is a first-person account of life in Nazi-occupied Holland. Black-and-white photographs and interviews with those who knew Flip, as well as with Selma Wijnberg-Engel (the sole Dutch survivor of the October, 1943 uprising in Sobibor) round out this firsthand testimony. A welcome addition to academic and community library Judaic Studies in general, and Holocaust Studies collections in particular.

When you read HIDDEN LETTERS, the book is going to leave a mark. It's going to hurt down deep and leave you thinking about things long after you've finished the book. After receiving the book, I admit to approaching the book warily. The subject matter is brutal, and it's devastating to anyone who's a parent.

First, a little history on the book. The letters that comprise the human narrative within the pages were discovered in Amsterdam in 1997. They were written by an eighteen year old Dutch Jew named Philip "Flip" Slier. He was sent to a Dutch labor camp in 1942. When first sent there, Slier believed he was going to be treated humanely, though restricted. He didn't know the horror that awaited him, or that he would soon be dead.

At the time Slier first went to the work camps, letters shipped regularly between the families and the restricted men. As I read the letters, I was stunned by the naïve manner that Slier exhibited. He honestly thought he was only going to be there for a short time, and that his experiences there would be nothing more than what he would endure during some summer camp.

As a father of five, I know how innocent kids can be. They think they know so much, but they're blind to so many things. They often don't know they're in over their heads until it's much too late.

And that's what happened with Slier.

I felt somewhat guilty while reading his letters, almost voyeuristic into a world of pain and innocence. The letters are inane and even cheerful. At times Slier obviously felt he was on some grand adventure. At other times I could see that he was putting on a front for his parents, acting brave while he was scared to death, or at least mightily confused by what was going on around him.

That human element, and that innocence, is what is going to haunt me about the book. Slier also took a camera with him. He took several pictures and sent them back home to his parents and friends, and those people managed to hang onto them throughout the blackest days of World War II. I saw his face, and I saw how much of a kid he still was. He aged decades in months, and he finally got killed.

That's one side of the story, but the authors added a tremendous amount of history materials to further the reader's understanding of what was going on in this area at this time. More pictures and maps fill the book. On one hand, HIDDEN LETTERS is a short journal of tumultuous times in a young man's life, but on the other hand the book is a great historical record. I love history, and I equate it with the story of people rather than names and dates. But Philip Slier's story truly brings home the fact that history is made up of people more than dates or events.

HIDDEN LETTERS is going to satisfy the armchair historian's perusal of the time period, and will give some sense of people and what was going on to genealogists that have discovered they've got family members that were in this camps at the same time. For either of those groups, I'm sure the book would be a beneficial addition.

The parents saved those letters all those years. I can't imagine what it must have been like to pull them out every so often and read the last words of their lost son.

Hidden Letters is impossible to put down. Philip "Flip" Slier was interned in a Nazi labor camp in the Netherlands, but wrote loving, optimistic letters home--and took many photographs. Then he, and virtually all of his extended family, disappeared into the Holocaust.
When the letters were discovered in Amsterdam in 1997, a search was made for Flip's closest relative, who turned out to be his first cousin Deborah, whose father had moved his family to South Africa and thus enabled them all to live through the war.
Deborah and her husband, Ian Shine, spent ten years having the letters translated and researching the places and the people they described. They interviewed many survivors of the Holocaust and the war, and include information about almost all--including their photographs and ultimate fates. Over 300 photographs are included.
Flip could write and you fall in love with him as you read. When the letters stop, it is devastating.
This is a compelling, disturbing, and heartbreaking great read.
Kathleen Baxter, columnist, School Library Journal

I remember devouring this book series when I read it for the first time at age 12. Being so deeply affected by the impacting story, I recently sought out the books again sixteen years later and found myself plunged back into the story, coming up for air and food only two days later when I was done.

I appreciate the honesty and yet the hope that is offered in this story. This is shown through the beauty of the human spirit in dark times and also of a God who sees, loves and cares for His people.

I highly recommend this literature.

I cannot begin to express my love of this 4-book series. I read it when I was in grade school and have tried to reread the series at least once every few years. However, as I do not own the series, I must interlibrary loan it or borrow it from people who do own it. [This review can also double as a plea to the publisher to republish the series.]

This series was originally written in Dutch by Anne De Vries and was translated into English and published in Canada. The four books are: (v. 1) Into the darkness (v. 2) The darkness deepens (v. 3) Dawn's early light and (v. 4) A new day.

The series traces the German occupation of the Netherlands from 1940 to 1945 during World War II. The books are seen through the eyes of John De Boer, a Dutch teenager who grows up during the war and assists in the resistance movement. Filled with suspense, intrigue, and harsh reality, the series protrays what life was like during the war.

The books are written for middle school ages and up. The prose is easy to read, though not simplistic. A parent may want to read along with a younger child because parts of the books can be very emotionally disturbing.

This book opens just before the start of World War II in the Netherlands. John is part of a Christian family, and they just want to be safe. But then around them, they see others on their way to death camps. They begin by harboring a "diver," a young man named William who helped British pilots escape from German hands. They go on to take in pilots who had been shot down, all the while keeping them safely hidden and away from the prying eyes of ones who earn 30 guilders for each life. One man had become very rich on the deaths of hidden Jews, pilots, and those who helped them. John and his father see no choice but to become more involved in the underground. It did not begin consciously at first, they were just offering a safe haven to those who would be killed if caught. But they couldn't stop there. It wouldn't be right to let things go on as they were without doing what they could.

This book does not paint any people as heroes, as we usually think of them. Instead, it portrays them as heroes usually are, ordinary people who see they must do what is right, whatever it cost. People whose names will never be remembered by many people who benefit from their sacrifices.

They listen to their forbidden radio, to hear messages from the Queen and her ministers. They realize that the underground is an army, and they are fighting a war. The leaders in their area had a meeting one day over what they would do about a certain spy who was responsible for many, many deaths. They decided that he would have to be "taken out" to save the lives of many others. One day John and William met up with him, and "took him out." John's anguish over his responsibility in the death of another person is portrayed clearly as he later asks his father, "This is a war, right? We are fighting for the right, aren't we? We had do to it to save others, right?" War is not a comfortable or pretty thing, or an adventure.

I don't know if I can say I enjoyed this book, but I believe it was a good book. I couldn't put it down once I had started it. It chronicles events until the end of the war, and the family is always concerned about doing what was right. I would not recommend this book to those who are nonresistant. It does give a picture of the war, and Anne De Vries lived through it, and should know of what she is writing. She also knows how to touch the heart.

Journey Through The Night is an exciting glimpse into the daily life and struggles of a Dutch family and their community during the German occupation of Holland. Historical fiction at it's best with a continual and sometimes comical reminder of how precious true freedom and family are. It's an easy reading for the whole family and well worth the investment.

I love reading a variety of Christian books. But some of my favorites are personal biographies. I stumbled across this series in the Christian bookstore and this was the third one I bought.

This in an incredible story of a man who was willing to go WAY outside his comfort zone and minister to people a lot of Christians wouldn't want to minister to. Mr McClung is a perfect example of a person compelled by love for Christ and the lost. This man is also a great example of the power of prayer and of faith.

This book will make you squirm. It will cause you to look at things from an entirely new perspective. This book pulls no punches and gets down and dirty. But I think this book should be required for every Christian, especially those who feel they are being called to the mission field. I highly recommend this book.

This Book by Floyd McClung takes us to the deepest place of the author's heart. I had the chance to meet Floyd a couple of months ago in Amsterdam and experiencing his passion for people and the lost is a huge support for every word of this book. After visiting Amsterdam I can tell it's not the easiest place to be, I can't imagine what Afganistan looks like. I recomend Living on the devil's door step, it's a very encouraging book and a testimony of the love and passion of Jesus for us.

This book is part of YWAM's International Adventures series and deals with the McClungs' mission to Western travelers in Afghanistan and subsequently in inner city Amsterdam. Originally published in 1988, the volume offers current updates to Floyd McClung's biography (at p.[202]), but does not explain why he left Amsterdam for Colorado in 1992 to found All Nations Institute, or why he assumed the pastorate of Metro Christian Fellowship, neither of which would appear to be following C.T. Studds' desire "to run a rescue shop/ Within a yard of hell" (see p. 201). It is certainly McClung's right to follow wherever God has called him, but some explanation of this mission change in the new edition might have been useful.

McClung's account of his Afghani experiences (at pp. 15-97) supplements the book he co-authored with Paul Conn, Just Off Chicken Street (1975) and provides a useful, if slightly external, view of the Hippy Trail which ran from Europe to India in the 1970's (see p. 22). Like so many earlier missionary accounts, the book is useful as an anthropological/sociological account as well as in a religious sense.

The second half of Living on the Devil's Doorstep (at pp.99-201) deals with the McClung ministry in Amsterdam. This was initially established to reintegrate converted travelers into Western society and to prepare Christian volunteers for the outreach process (at p. 97), but it led to a series of outreaches, including work in the city's red light district. Again, a unique view of this area is offered, although, as noted above, the story of this particular ministry remains incomplete.

Samuel Pyeatt Menefee

Floyd McClung recounts the amazing story of his family's journey of compassion which began in Kabul, Afghanistan by ministering to Western hippies traveling the "road to enlightenment". Unfortunately, that road all too often led to disillusionment and disease instead. Floyd and his wife Sally, led by God, dared to believe they could make a difference by sharing the love of Christ in Kabul and subsequently in Amsterdam infamous "red light" district.

This is a fascinating and inspiring story of how a young couple began a ministry that has reached hundreds of otherwise lost young people. A definite "must read" for anyone with a heart for Christian missions.

It took us to places that the locals thought were not available without local knowledge. I highly recommend this book. Please e-mail me with your comments

This was by far the most helpful resource that I took to Switzerland--extremely detailed, logically organized, and quite accurate. Walking in Switzerland was extremely helpful in its well-written trail and regional descriptions as well as precise information on surrounding logistics. A must for anybody who intends to hike (seriously or casually) in the region. At the risk of gushing overmuch, this is quite possibly the most useful travel guide I've ever bought.

Last summer I went to Switzerland with my girlfriend. She had this book with her. It was great! It helped us to see interesting places, find affordable hotels, good restaurant. I recommend this book to anyone who is planning on going to Switzerland.

Excellent book with fine maps and accurate descriptions. It was an outstanding resource for planning out some long trail runs, and was nicely complemented by the efficient Swiss trail signs. Lonely Planet does a very good job with travel guides, but excels the most when doing the walking/trekking guides.

Marlene Dumas is a fabulous contemporary artist, straight forward...no tricks, no formulas..like in the old days.

Its a beautiful book is excellent condition

This book is one of my favourites. In Marlene Dumas, I found an artist that I totally relate to. I find her philosophy on her art practice refreshing and have enjoyed reading her own opinions. I am currently studying art at University, and she definitely is an artist that has gone against the mainstream of traditional drawing and painting techniques.

The layout of the book is easy to read, with many coloured pictures of her work.

I had seen a self-portrait done by Marlene Dumas in an art book and it blew me away. I did not know who she was or her main specialty. I knew I had to see more of her body of work... I quickly found this Phaedon publication, crossed my fingers and ordered it. When it finally arrived...I poured over it. It is now a few months later and I am still pouring over it. I particularly like the interviews and personal input Helene has had into the publication – this is her book and her philosophies – she puts herself out there for you to see her and to "get inside her head". The layout is very contemporary which adds to the presentation of her imagery. The reproductions of her work are plentiful and I am impressed with the range of her work through her different "periods". The text is concise and confronting in its subject matter, ranging from her life in apartheid Africa to the freedom of Amsterdam. This book is a must for art students and art lovers alike. It holds the key to an modern artist and, as an art student, has inspired me. I am looking forward to seeing more publications about her current work. I definitely give this book 5 stars – plus 5 stars for a major contemporary artist.

This is what I look for in an art book, many large good quality reproductions of the work with a minimum of pretentious text. Let me look at the images first and decide what I think about them, then I can go read what the artist or some critic/historian thinks, not the other way around, as far too many books do.

I like the fact that Dumas does what she feels at the time she does it, so there is a lot of variety in this book, it is not the same piece over and over again. She is not like a lot of artist, simply becoming clichés of themselves at the 1st signs of success, she continues to experiment and try different things, which she is criticized for, however, I think that criticism is short sited. There is something fresh, loose and free about her work that I admire. Granted I don't like her work as much as when I first viewed it a few years ago (reflecting my own development as an artist) but it is still one of my favorite books and I would recommend it to anyone interested in contemporary art.

My only critic comes from my own bias, in that I find some of her content overly simplified clichés of women's issues and feminist theory. .........And I'm annoyed by the fact that If I, as a male artist, created some of the images she's created, I'd be lynched by NOW(or some other WWB-Whiny Women's Brigade as I've coined them) as being a misogynist pig.

Expertly translated from the original Dutch by Debra F. Onkenhout, My Friend Anne Frank is the personal reminiscences of Jacqueline ("Jopie") van Maarsen, the best friend of Anne Frank, who corresponded regularly until the Holocaust destroyed Anne among its many millions of victims. A powerful tribute to Anne as a person, remembering her for who she was and the good times spent together, rather than simply dwelling upon her suffering and pain, My Friend Anne Frank is a deeply emotional and moving testimony of a remarkable young life and a very special friendship.

This is an extraordinary little book. Anyone with an interest in Anne Frank would be foolish not to read this. Written by a real friend of Anne's (who is referred to in the diary as "Jopie"), we are offered something in this book that cannot be underestimated--a different point of view on some of the experiences Anne describes by someone who really experienced them with her. Quotes from the diary are expanded upon and explained and some minor mysteries are resolved by the woman who, as a girl, was with Anne when these things happened.

Some readers might be disappointed that this book is so brief. I, on the other hand, was sympathetic to Van Maarsen's shyness, desire for privacy and reticence to speak so as not to appear as someone taking advantage of Anne's fame. In fact, I think this makes her book even more compelling. Van Maarsen speaks strictly to things she knows and experiences. She does not try to pad the book with her own personal details and agenda. She seems to have written this book for us--the people interested in knowing more about Anne--and not for herself.

As the years pass, there is the growing risk that Anne will become so sainted as to go beyond reality. Additionally, the readers of the diary often forget that we are hearing a story entirely from the perspective of a young girl. This does not diminish Anne's achievement but I think it is important to keep in mind that Anne was a real person with faults as well as great talent. Plaster saints do not inspire as well as true human beings in whom we can find a reflection of ourselves. Van Maarsen reminds us of Anne's humanity by giving us a different point of view of Anne's experiences. It is an invaluable resource.

May 26,2001:

If you love the Diary of Anne Frank, you will want to have this book. It raises intriguing questions such as if you had been Anne's friend, would you now want to stay out of the limelight? How would you like it if people only wanted to know you because you were her friend? That it took the author ("Jopie" in the Diary) so long to write this (published in Dutch, 1990), is an indication of the painful struggles she has had with these and related issues. The spirit of candor in the Diary is present in this book also. So much so that ironically, some readers will be disappointed in the ending. We want Anne's friend to carry the torch of her legacy. That our image of how she does this may differ from the author's--hopefully will not lessen our ability to appreciate the author for sharing her unique experiences.

Update of August 28, 2001:

After seeing this review, the author wrote to me that she continues public speaking. Examples of such speeches are described in fascinating detail in the book. As her note to me eloquently stated:

"Anne's diary conveys a very strong message, a message against discrimination and prejudice. By telling about my friendship with Anne and the circumstances during the war, I can give authenticity to her story. So, after having hesitated for years, I now 'carry the torch of Anne's legacy.' I speak for my friend, who cannot speak any more, and I feel quite satisfied to do so."

Some might wonder how or why the author could "give authenticity to Anne's story" which speaks so directly to their heart. It is apparent that this comment is meant for people who have denied Anne wrote the Diary. The book explains that the author provided samples of Anne's handwriting to the Dutch Institute For War Documentation after the war. This was used to confirm the Diary was written by Anne. Too, there are incidents described in the Diary that only Anne and the author witnessed. In Anne's 1942 poem to the author, which contained a personal twist to a common verse, she wrote:

"Dear Jackie,

Always show your sunny side

And be a nice girl at school

Remain my dearest little friend

And everyone will love you.

In remembrance of your friend,


Anne Frank

The last two lines of this verse have proven prophetic. It is clear that Anne would love her dear Jackie even more for having written this book and speaking where Anne's voice trails into silence. The world is indeed fortunate that Anne continues to have such a lovely friend.

this book is a beautiful report about a teener's friendship that became exceptional by the events that took place at the time, and about the influence these events had on "jopie's" life in the years that followed.

This encyclopedic work about jazz in Holland will appeal to a wider readership than the title would ever suggest. Written with a novelist's eye for fine detail, and an appreciative ear for the rich nuances of jazz, Whitehead's book is a classic that belongs in every music-lover's library. One of the striking aspects of the book is the way Whitehead allows the musicians to speak for themselves - which is illuminating, and gives the book an accessibility for anyone interested in the creative process of music. Excellent book.

This book was clearly a labor of love for the author. "New Dutch Swing," paints a detailed picture of a "Music Scene," using history, interviews, biography, culture, and geography to enlighten and excite the reader. I began this book feeling as though I knew very little. Upon completion, I feel like an authority. How much more successful can a book be? No chiaroscuro here!

Kevin Whitehead's New Dutch Swing is a tour de force of jazz scene writing, readily accessible to the cognescenti and the casual alike. Having immersed himself in the Amsterdam jazz community for several years, Whitehead transports us across the pond and deposits us in smoky Dutch clubs where some of the world's most creative music swirls around our heads. His depictions of the characters are especially good, and after a page or two the performers come alive as people, not just as musicians. Drawing on his extensive knowledge as a (sometimes controversial) jazz critic, Whitehead puts the vibrant Dutch improv scene into global perspective. Excellent reading; highly recommended.

I read the book while standing on my head. Felt sick afterward

This book is simply the truth. It is amazingly descriptive, and makes you feel as if you are experiencing the Holocaust. Mr. de Wijze tells of his struggle for survival in the treachorous conditions of concentration camps. It describes the favoring of one prisoner over another and the many horrible deaths during this time period. I reccommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

It defies logic and cynicism to believe that this story could be anything but fiction. Unfortunately, it could only be fiction if it were set in another galaxy amongst different forms of life. For here on Earth, this stark, skeletal narrative rings all too true. And yet this story of insane unrelenting brutality is woven together with so many episodes of hope, it is impossible to not love its main character, the narrator himself. Louis is a triumphant survivor, like Odysseus, only real. In a world rife with hyperbole and fraudulent heros, this is the agonizing path of a true survivor who will never leave you wondering what life is really all about. It's a quick read and completely necessary.

This book is important for all to read. Through one man's story we are able to remember the past, in hopes of never repeating it. It is a honest story that is told with an emotion that I shared. In the closing pages, I found the greatest sadness knowing that this man had only his life to declare to all. This book has given me a message that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my life

I absolutly LOVED this book. Honestly I wasn't paying attension when i just randomly pulled it off the book shelf. But I must say that I am glad that I did. I believe that this book is a sign of heroism, survival and hope. Throughout the whole thing, De Wijze expresses himself and his life so vividly that when i was done, I just sat there, still, glaring at the last three words: only my life. I reccomend this wonderful book to both adults and children. It is a great source of information, and also an exilerating experience to read just for fun.

I loved it. The story is told in clear, simple language that makes it easy for children to understand (Crucial in a book geared for a younger crowd) and the illustrations are breathtaking and accurate.

A wonderful introduction to Anne Frank.

This book is Simple and touching. Its very simple to read but goes into the depths of her short and in the end devastating life. She had a simple life and she loved it but the last and dark days that she spent in the secret annexe.
further- (beyond this story)
iT turns out that Otto Frank was the only one to survive out of all the secret annex (peter wasn't heard from) everyone else died. If only she had survived the last couple of weeks then she would be free once more.

As a sixth grader I really enjoyed the book Anne Frank. The story was about Anne Frank,A brave young Jewish girl about 12 years old and her fourting year old sister. She found out at age 14 years old that she had to put a lot of cloths on. She had to hide in the attic for three years so the Nazis would not find them. It took place in Germany where her family lived. She once lived in a house,If she went to school she would be shot. The Nazis burnt all the Jewish books and pictures. A lot of children hid so they would not be shot because the people that hid them or they would be shot with no questions asked. The only person who survived was her dad, and the reason her mom died first, and Anne and her sister died after. I think the person who reads the book would cry or be really interesting in it. The book is based on her family life as a Jew in Germany.

I'm a 6th grader. This book is about Anne Frank when she was a young girl. Anne was born on June 12,1929. She had an older sister named Margot. Her parents names were Edith and Otto Frank. Her family lived in Frankfurt for hundreds of years. She had a peaceful life until the Nazis came. Anne Frank died when she was fifteen years old. Then someone found Anne's Frank diary, which got published in 1947. This is the best book I ever read because I like how it is written, telling the story clearly. I like how she did not die until she was fifteen years old. If I was Anne I don't think I would I have lasted that long because I don't think I could take care of myself that long.

Just when you think it can't get more real or more intense, it does. This is not light reading, but if you really want to see inside the soul of real life survivor (not someone who can do 15 hours of shopping in a crowded mall,) this is for you. Silvie is my new best friend, putting all my petty problems into perspective and showing me again that we can be bigger than our environment!

SILVIE is more than a testament to the human spirit and its will to survive against all odds. It is more than the story of a beautiful and talented young woman on the brink of life and love, caught up in the unspeakable horror of Hitler's war against the Jews. Silvia Grohs-Martin, in her brilliantly absorbing autobiography, engages the reader's wide range of emotions; laughter, tears, chills, thrills, outrage, compassion and love, all within the context of a single chapter; at times, a single paragraph. A compelling read from start to finish, Ms. Grohs-Martin's acute sense of detail, her innate joie de vivre, and her delicious sense of humor combine to tell her true story of enormous courage, hope and, yes, romance against a background of modern history's most devastating and shameful period. Never self-indulgent or self-pitying, always taut and engrossing, SILVIE reads like a Steven Spielberg screenplay, complete with bigger-than-life heroine whose youthful exhuberance turns to heroic defiance in the face of her formidable enemy, one she cannot conquer on her own, but one she can survive. It was perhaps her youthful zest, her determination to live out a full, rich life that gave this enchanting young woman the strength and the ability to carry her through to personal victory, despite the treacherous traps she encountered at every turn. From her youth as an aspiring actress in Vienna to her years as an ingenue at Amsterdam's legendary Hollandsche Schouwburg (Dutch Theater,) to its transformation into a Nazi-controlled deportation center for the Jews, to her numerous encounters with Nazi officials, and her uncanny capacity to escape their clutches, SILVIE not only prevails, she soars. Ultimately, SILVIE's extraordinary account of survival teaches us all that although we may not always be able to control our external circumstances, we can always control our reaction to them. A completely exhilerating read! I love SILVIE -- the book and the woman!

"Silvie" is a testament to the spirit and love for life that is possible and should be celebrated. Silvia Gros-Martin shares with her readers a most incredible example of such strength. With a beautiful, yet haunting, style we follow her back into the bleakest time in our world's history. But as we look through her eyes, we see the world that she loved, the life that she lived with such vigor and passion, and the people that impacted her life, from her childhood in Austria, to her beautiful theatre in Amsterdam, to the Nazi death camps that she survived. The good times and the violently hellish times she endured are depicted with such vivid clarity and honesty that I felt as if I were there with her, sharing her laughter and witnessing her bravery. Taking this journey with Silvie will give the reader a look at this dark period in our history which cannot be found in a textbook. At moments we are joyous, at moments we are horrified by the reality of man's ability to hate and perform unspeakable acts of violence. Silvie's memoir provides a memorable and enlightening journey. I believe it should be read by everyone, for her story will inspire us never to forget or repeat the horrors that she survived. And, it will indeed remind us of our potential to love and embrace life, no matter how uncertain or rigorous that journey may be.

SILVI, by Silvia Grohs-Martin is a compelling, affecting and, at times, racking study of the persistance of life in a near void of humanity. Her four years during WWII in German concentation camps -- the longest at the infamous Auschwitz -- are presented not so much as appalling nightmares but as comparative portraits of the unbelievable tenacity of the human will to exist. Just when one feels overwhelmed with the vast array of Holocaust literature and media, SILVI belies the myth that we've "heard it all." The book reads almost like a spy thriller. A teenage girl, already a known singer and entertainer in Europe -- leaps from country to country, one step ahead of the invading Nazis. Surrounded in The Netherlands, with no hope of escape, Silvi finds work in the sole venue open to Jews under the Nazi occupation -- the celebrated Hollandsche Schouwburg Theatre in Amsterdam. While most Americans know of Anne Frank's ordeal at the time, the Schouwburg and it's role as the city's only permitted Jewish theatre/gathering place/art gallery/coffee house and even marriage facility, will come as a surprising revelation. The vast number of Jewish and non-Jewish citizens whose lives were affected by this venerable landmark of the arts is inestimable. When the Nazi's finally close the Theatre, Silvi and her fellow actors are forced to guard their former audience as citizens are hauled to the Theatre and held for deportation. Working secretly in the Dutch Resistance, Silvi is able to convey a number of Jewish children to safety in the countryside. Finally, as she is about to be deported herself, she escapes in a desperate attempt to reach Switzerland. Captured in Belgium she spends the next fours years as a "guest" of the Gestapo regime. Told with a keen narrator's skill of observation and attention to detail, SILVI is at times sad, humorous, appalling, enraging, unthinkable and always, always engrossing. You will not put it down!