The Thirteenth Child:

by Mark deMeza

Inspired by the true story of the author’s ancestors, this enthralling WWII novel tells of the Kisch family’s heart-wrenching struggle against Nazi oppression.
When the Nazis invade the Netherlands in 1940, the Jews of Amsterdam know nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust. As the measures imposed by the cruel SS become ever more repressive, sister and brother, Rachael and Hendrik, join the Dutch Resistance. Meanwhile, their parents, Franck and Elizabeth, strive to keep their younger brother, Hannes, safe, but time is against them all, as every day more and more Jews are being deported to unknown camps in Eastern Europe. Will the family be able to stay together and survive?

Readers moved by Schindler’s List, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas will be gripped.

Order your copy today.

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Historical, Fiction, Ebooks, War

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 24, 2024

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the opening scene (two young boys fascinated by the Nazi military march into Amsterdam in the early days of World War 2) to the concluding chapter (a portrayal of Jews being loaded onto a cattle car for transport to a labor camp) Mark deMeza paints a vivid picture of life in Holland under Adolf Hitler’s heavy hand. The Thirteenth Child offers both a chilling, historically accurate, account of events in those days and a fictional re-telling of one family’s experience. Strongly recommend.

[Bella Roane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, really well researched and full of detail. Harrowing in places, particularly when you have to 'fill in the gaps' with your imagination, a clever writing trick!
An excellent debut and I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't Forget the Dutch!

Much has been written about the German invasion of Poland, but this historical novel helps fill a gap of the later takeover of the Netherlands. From here too, thousands of Jews were also transported east to 'work camps' separating families and very young children. Most never survived, being starved, shot, gassed and dieing from over work and exposure. Many of the incidents and characters in the book are based on the author's own forebears. Many of the German officers responsible faced war crime trials and were killed by firing squads. It is all a very sad part of history, but is well recorded.
This novel is very readable and all young adults should read it for their education - my generation need it so as we never forget what hatred can do and how one man's crazed ideas can affect the lives of millions.

[Joe Maggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling work of historical fiction, arguably more useful and engaging for its (as I understand from the postscript) largely accurate account of the occupation of the Netherlands by the Nazis and their treatment of the local Jewish population, as well as the efforts of the Dutch resistance to rebel and save as best as they could.

I think this suffers to some extent from perhaps not quite capturing the language of the 1940s as best as it ought; in some respects dialogue seems anachronistically modern. The story itself is for the most part well-structured, though I think can suffer from moving around too much and too quickly. Setting is for the most part well-composed and reasonably vivid though I feel more could’ve been done in this area too.

Final point is that I think there is too great a breadth of characters - perhaps because deMeza wishes to include many real historical figures as part of the narrative and to improve this book's "legitimacy" as historical fiction - but unfortunately I think the result is a lack of depth in character development; at many points I had forgotten who someone was or what they had last been doing, and those that I was more aware of often felt like they lacked real personality or substance.

[Rose English · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real eye opener

History was not my subject and I know only the bare bones of the Holocaust.

This book being inspired by true events had my mind in a whirl. It didn't give horrific graphic details merely hinting at the atrocities leaving you free to fill in with your own imagination. Mine was very dark.

The story had me constantly turning page after page and read it in just over two sittings. Well worth checking out.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thirteenth Child by Mark deMeza is a powerful historical novel that I read in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep. It is a fictional account, but very much grounded in fact, of the fate of the Jewish people in Holland during World War II. The main family is fictional but all the others were real people.
This is a heart-breaking account of a truly evil time. The reader witnesses the Nazis marching into Holland in 1940, and then the rapid erosion of the freedoms of the Jewish people.
It is a heart-wrenching read the thoughts of a seven year old Jewish boy, no longer able to play with his best friend who was Aryan. “He felt angry with the Nazis and their yellow star badge… An emptiness weighed him down and had started the moment his best friend had uttered the word goodbye.” Heart-breaking and senseless.
Mark deMeza has created a very powerful and comprehensive tale of when evil walked among the innocent. We see the ruthless but efficient Nazi war machine. The Jewish people complied silently, believing the lies they were told.
As we focus in on one family, they are a microcosm for the macrocosm of the Jewish people – 95% of the Jewish people (German and Dutch) living in Holland, perished under the evil Nazi war machine.
There were some very brave people too, rescuing the innocent, in the hope that they would survive. We see the guilt that haunts a man who wished he had saved “just one more.”
The Thirteenth Child is a powerful book that must be read in memory of the six million innocents who died during World War II, which included 102,000 from Holland. May we never forget.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the Dutch Resistance during World War II. It covers a number of things that they did and people that helped; but the most tragic was during deportations. Walter Sueskind was the manager of the Dutch Theater or Jewish Theater. It was once a beautiful and well-known theater until the Nazis took it over to be used as a holding camp for Jews. Because they were gathering so many men and women, the Nazis excluded children from being held here. Instead, the children were kept at a day care center across the street. It was run by Henriette Pimentel. It had now turned into more of an orphanage; except the parents were in the theater. Rachael Kirsch was second in charge of the day care center. Next to the center was a teacher training college and many students and teachers sent their children to the the day care as well. At the end of the day, it wasn't unusual for people to leave the theater, etc. accompanied by children. Johan von Hulst ran the school. Rachael, Walt, and Johan worked together to slip children. out of college or day care . Walter made sure the children's names were taken from the Nazi lists.
Rachel, Henriette, Walter, and Johan worked together to get the children out and away from deportation. Children were saved to hopefully survive the war and be reunited with family member s after the war.
The book is excellent.

[Nicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is the literary equivalent of a docudrama. It supposedly tells the story of the Kisch family, a Jewish family in the Netherlands at the time of the Nazi occupation. The fictional family, though, is overshadowed by the sheer amount of exposition the author shoehorns into the story. It turns the book into a quasi-history book rather than a novel. The story also suffers from a lack of any real plot and poor dialogue. It took me an age to read this book because I simply wasn't motivated to pick it up again. There is a good story somewhere within this material, but this was not it for me.

[Liora Ellington · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thirteenth Child is one of those rare World War II novels that doesn’t just recount history it feels it. Through the Kisch family, Mark deMeza brings the fear, courage, and sacrifice of occupied Amsterdam vividly to life. Rachael and Hendrik’s determination to fight back, their parents’ desperate efforts to protect what’s left of their family, and the looming dread of what’s to come create a story that grips both the heart and the conscience.

It’s beautifully written, devastating in its honesty, and filled with moments of unexpected tenderness. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz or Schindler’s List will find this unforgettable.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

heartbreaking

I have read many stories about the lives of the Jews during World War II, every one of them as sad as the next one. I started with Anne Frank decades ago. The Thirteenth Child is one of a few stories I’ve read about the Dutch during this time period. It is hard to believe that there is such cruelty embedded in mankind, but it is good to remember that there’s goodness as well. If you like recountings of real people during this time, I think you’ll appreciate this one.

[Lesley Goldthorpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me this was a very tough story to read. There has been quite a bit written about the Nazi invasion in Germany, this story comes from the Dutch. The Take over in the Netherlands was much later than Germany but it still had equally horrific stories. The book is one of the better written stories of the time, and DeMeza writes from accounts of his own family. Though the book is fiction, the characters are based in reality. The details of the story are descriptive and as one person claims “the book was so beautifully written, it’s hard to imagine the horror it reflects”.

[Margaret Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to read the timeline of when the Nazi’s invaded Denmark. The characters are so real when reading this that you feel their pain, fear and loss of family members. The brave people who tried to avert the deportations really are heroes. The children they helped saved I hope they survived the war and grew into being the best they could get. Thankyou to the author for writing this book , it has helped put those events into a sort or order.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thirteenth Child

This was a very difficult story to read. The realism of each word, of each life lost, of the millions killed in furtherance of evil, I struggled to complete each page.
The incredulity of the Dutch townspeople; surely these horrors will not happen here. The stoicism of the Resistance; if I die, I will still have saved some lives.
I highly recommend this story to others. It will break your heart and it must be read and remembered.

[Willie. Van Den Hoek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story

The story is so true to life as i was living in the Netherlands at that time. Also we were very involved with a lot of our friends caught up in the war . I couldn't put it down and yet it is so sad and actually rather hard to read. Certainly a true to life story.

[L's of Kauai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hasn't been that long since I read this and I've already forgotten all the
details !! I recall that it took place in the Netherlands which I've
never thought much about !! The book followed one family's
experience. The family members did not all stay together.
It seemed to be a very realistic portrayal of that horrific era.

[Carey Mundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was historic fiction that centers around Holland during WWII. The Kisch family is Jewish and is finding every way to avoid deportation. The father has a role in the Jewish council with the two older siblings joining the resistance. It’s a hard story to read, based on true events and people during the war, but it was done quite well.

[Rachael Sibley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Stark Reminder

This book is a stark reminder of the atrocities that were perpetrated by the Nazis against the Jewish race. It struck me that so many stories about the saving of lives during this time is under the haunting phrases of just one more/what about those I didn't manage to save?

[Sandra Reveles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A referencing story of violence and bravery that makes you stop and cry. How can as people do this horrifying acts to other people? We need to remember this time in history and let this not repeat in our world again.

There were many times I could feel the pain and suffering which brought tears to my eyes. And how many who did so much felt they didn't do enough.

[Lula Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical Novels Relate Horrors

Liked the true depiction of the trials and troubles of the Jewish people and some not even Jewish! Not knowing what happened to your family would drive you crazy.

[Terri Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Worth Reading

The story was filled with many true facts. The characters were all well developed…. It always amazes me how the people (all captives) didn’t really resist until very late in Hitler’s sick plan.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives you some sense of what it would have been like living in The Netherlands during the nazi occupation, particularly as a jew. I thought that the book was compelling and the story was grim without going into extreme detail.

[Hazel Attwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different way of telling the story of Jews in the second world war. . I've read many books about the horror camps but this was different , told from the perspective of the Dutch people. Not easy reading material but a good read

[Carmen Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

WWII story

This was a good read. I enjoy reading books that includes real historical facts about this time period. The author used fictional characters to tell the story of sacrifices made to save Jewish children.

[Joan O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction. It isn't often that the fate of the Dutch Jews are written about during the Nazi invasion. You follow the conditions as experienced by one family. This is a must read for history buffs.

[Chrisann Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. I’m crying after reading the end notes. It always astounds me that such a waste of humanity was even possible. I usually read personal accounts. This book gave me a perspective of the Jews of the Netherlands that I wasn’t aware of.

[Suzie Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

WWII

The occupation of the Netherlands. How the German and the Dutch Jews were exterminated by the Also what became of some of the Natzi leaders once the war was inverted and they were found and tried.

[Miranda Summerset · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 STARS! A historical fiction that you wont soon forget. A tale of a young Jewish family during the Holocaust & their separate journeys of trying to survive. Its harrowing and emotional & very well written. Definitely had a few tears at the ending. Audiobook is fantastic too!

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is well-written and allows the reader to understand the views of multiple characters. However, at some points the novel seems to stray from the story into a more non-fiction description of certain events and elements. Overall, it’s a great read about a horrible time in human history.

[Amylynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

So much went on in this book. I'll still give it 5 stars cause it kept my interest. I'm glad there will be a sequel cause the abrupt ending. Worth a read.

[DBlodgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, of course depressing depiction of the deportation of Jews from Amsterdam. Characters are genuine. Evil Nazis are horrible as one now expects. Not a feel good book, for sure.