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A review by coffee_and_chapters
The Girl Across the Wire Fence by Imogen Matthews
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I genuinely love stories that are based on true events during the Holocaust because they really provide the reader with an insight into the lives of the prisoners in the camp, and this one especially into the lives of those outside the walls of the camp and their bravery in trying, as much as possible within their own power, to help the prisoners.
The Girl Across the Wire Fence follows the story of Saskia and Frans, two lovers who undertake a project of letter smuggling into Amersfoort Concentration Camp. When Frans has to enter the camp in order to collect potato peelings that the prisoners are tasked to do (although the potatoes never become part of their food), a prisoner by the name of Theo begs Frans to deliver a letter to his loved one. Frans then realises that one way in which he could help the prisoners is by trying to keep their morale alive, and this could be achieved through these letters. Together with Saskia, Theo and others, they risk their safety (which is already in jeopardy as the war looms closer to them than before.
I really loved this book and quite sad I didn't get to this sooner. The storyline was very captivating and really touched my heart to see the way the prisoners were treated in the camp. As much as we learn about this in history, it is very different when presented in the format of a story with actual people with names. What we often don't learn in history is how people risked their lives outside and inside the camp in order to survive, and how many had hope until the very end. Imogen Matthew's has presented us with a story that is so well thought and researched and really focuses on the characters and their feelings. It was also heart-breaking to see how often prisoners are appointed into administration ranks which essentially has them seen as traitors by the others in the camp, but essentially this is a no choice command to be followed. The themes of pain, suffering, bravery but also self-preservation are very apparent in this book. What I also liked was the fact that the book showed that although life inside the camp was inhumane, life outside of the camp was slightly better but not by much, as people were persecuted by the Nazi's even if they were not Jewish and how people became targets instantly due to the immense power the Nazi's had at the time.
This is a brilliant read and I would recommend to readers who enjoy stories from the Holocaust and who find the history of this very interesting. I am on of those readers and I would read many more stories like this in order to try and understand but also to develop my learning.
The Girl Across the Wire Fence follows the story of Saskia and Frans, two lovers who undertake a project of letter smuggling into Amersfoort Concentration Camp. When Frans has to enter the camp in order to collect potato peelings that the prisoners are tasked to do (although the potatoes never become part of their food), a prisoner by the name of Theo begs Frans to deliver a letter to his loved one. Frans then realises that one way in which he could help the prisoners is by trying to keep their morale alive, and this could be achieved through these letters. Together with Saskia, Theo and others, they risk their safety (which is already in jeopardy as the war looms closer to them than before.
I really loved this book and quite sad I didn't get to this sooner. The storyline was very captivating and really touched my heart to see the way the prisoners were treated in the camp. As much as we learn about this in history, it is very different when presented in the format of a story with actual people with names. What we often don't learn in history is how people risked their lives outside and inside the camp in order to survive, and how many had hope until the very end. Imogen Matthew's has presented us with a story that is so well thought and researched and really focuses on the characters and their feelings. It was also heart-breaking to see how often prisoners are appointed into administration ranks which essentially has them seen as traitors by the others in the camp, but essentially this is a no choice command to be followed. The themes of pain, suffering, bravery but also self-preservation are very apparent in this book. What I also liked was the fact that the book showed that although life inside the camp was inhumane, life outside of the camp was slightly better but not by much, as people were persecuted by the Nazi's even if they were not Jewish and how people became targets instantly due to the immense power the Nazi's had at the time.
This is a brilliant read and I would recommend to readers who enjoy stories from the Holocaust and who find the history of this very interesting. I am on of those readers and I would read many more stories like this in order to try and understand but also to develop my learning.