The Occupied Garden: A Family Memoir of War-Torn Holland

Fascinating and wonderful. A very interesting and much needed perspective on life during WWII. This book is written by two sisters whose father and his siblings were born to Dutch parents just before, and during WWII in the Netherlands. It offers a deeply touching account of the family's life during this period of time, from the courtship of the author's grandparents, to their marriage, young family life, invasion of German forces and German occupation of the country, and their struggle to survive these horrifying years, to their eventual emigration to Canada a few years after the war. The reader is given a glimpse into the Dutch way of life during this period of time, their customs, family life, etc., as well as the history of Holland's WWII war experience, which was shocking to me as an American who knew little about the reality of living through this period of time in a country occupied by enemy forces. Much is also included about the monarchy of Holland during this period, which is fascinating. The Dutch held their then Queen Wilhelmina in high regard, even though she and her family fled to England and Canada during the war. She continued to be an inspiration to the Dutch people by communicating to them via BBC broadcasts which gave strength to the resistance within Holland and helped her people continue to press for liberation and not succumb to the harsh and often brutal German occupiers. This book shows the plight of the Dutch people who, as an unarmed citizenry, and as a weak military power, were totally vulnerable to the complete and swift takeover by German forces who literally dropped into their backyards, and took over their government, towns, businesses, and even their very homes! Dutch military was small, unprepared for war and did not have modern weaponry with which to protect its borders and citizens. For these mistakes, they paid dearly and many lives were lost and tragically affected, including those of many Dutch Jews. To me, one of the most glaring lessons of this book and of this period of history, is that a nation of people without access to and ownership of their own personal firearms to protect themselves, their families and their homes, will be victims of those who do. It is a fact of history that is undeniable, yet difficult to accept for those who feel that gun ownership is a bad or wrong thing. The German Occupation of Holland, and this little town particularly, worsened progressively until people were starving, suffering, and lived in absolute fear with no rights and few freedoms. Yet, they doggedly, as a people, resisted the oppression! Many of the Dutch people were part of an organized resistance in this long and horrific occupation. The resistance efforts were valiant, persistent and deeply moving, yet also caused much reprisal and revenge-seeking on the part of the Germans. There were many German sympathizers amongst the Dutch population, but by and large, the people did not not buckle to