The story follows Rachel Klein, a young Jewish woman who hides during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during WW2 and also works for the Dutch resistance. This is a tale of bravery and spirit, with great passages that illustrate the impact of the Nazi invasion on everyday life as well as the practicalities of an existence in hiding. Those parts of the book are particularly impressive.
Rachel, who is also in love with a Gentile boy, brings a certain naïve and innocent perspective to the plot, which is contrasted against her later bravery and against the perspectives of her parents and other resistance workers.
The changing viewpoints and jumps in the timeline create additional suspense but at times detract from its natural flow. Historically the book is well researched and full of interesting details. As a mainland European, I was already familiar with the subject, but I still learned a few further facts and gained new perspectives.
The characters are mostly engaging, the pace and suspense are well managed, and although the story wasn’t as innovative as I had hoped, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. I would recommend it to people who want to learn about this particular part of the Holocaust.