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A review by willowbiblio
The Diary Keepers: World War II in the Netherlands, as Written by the People Who Lived Through It by Nina Siegal
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
"Those who had managed to come out of the camps, to emerge from hiding, to claw back life from the edge of disease and starvation, those who had been tortured, those with horrendous images trapped behind their eyes, wanted an audience for their suffering. Who would listen?"
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I'm glad I took my time with this book. Siegal gave so much new perspective and information, while not entirely prescribing a belief system. She gave all perspectives: pro-Germany, Dutch resistance members, and Jews in the camps. I appreciated the breaks from the diaries for historical context. It reminded me that they weren't just stories- they were real people living through horrific times.
It was hard for me to have any sympathy for the pro-Germans. In fact, I found them despicable. It was jarring to see their meaningless concerns juxtaposed against the terror the Jews and their saviors were experiencing. Maybe that's partly because I'm viewing their lives through the lens of historical context, but Siegal proved it was very likely most citizens knew what was happening to their compatriots.
It was surprising to learn of the Dutch government's (lack of) response to the Jewish genocide during and after the war. Learning about the collective disavowal of Jewish suffering and Dutch culpability was also really surprising to me.
I loved that Siegal consistently reminded the reader that history is lived forward, and that we now have the privilege of context that those writing their entries didn't. She poses a lot of difficult questions about memory, grief, responsibility, and blame. She makes it somewhat clear where she stands, but leaves it up to the reader to explore their own answers based upon the information she provides.
-------------------------
I'm glad I took my time with this book. Siegal gave so much new perspective and information, while not entirely prescribing a belief system. She gave all perspectives: pro-Germany, Dutch resistance members, and Jews in the camps. I appreciated the breaks from the diaries for historical context. It reminded me that they weren't just stories- they were real people living through horrific times.
It was hard for me to have any sympathy for the pro-Germans. In fact, I found them despicable. It was jarring to see their meaningless concerns juxtaposed against the terror the Jews and their saviors were experiencing. Maybe that's partly because I'm viewing their lives through the lens of historical context, but Siegal proved it was very likely most citizens knew what was happening to their compatriots.
It was surprising to learn of the Dutch government's (lack of) response to the Jewish genocide during and after the war. Learning about the collective disavowal of Jewish suffering and Dutch culpability was also really surprising to me.
I loved that Siegal consistently reminded the reader that history is lived forward, and that we now have the privilege of context that those writing their entries didn't. She poses a lot of difficult questions about memory, grief, responsibility, and blame. She makes it somewhat clear where she stands, but leaves it up to the reader to explore their own answers based upon the information she provides.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Antisemitism