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Even Without Blood
Even Without Blood is a profoundly moving debut novel that captures the resilience of a young boy named Victor, who was orphaned at the age of eight on the brink of World War II and labelled an enemy of the state. Based on a true story of familial displacement spanning Indonesia, Austria, Holland, and Canada, this novel was originally published in Dutch by HarperCollins Holland and is praised by readers as a compelling page-turner.
Java, 1939.
Victor, the only child of an Austrian couple who settled in Java (a Dutch colony until 1949) in 1910, is born into a life of privilege. However, his world is shattered when he loses both parents at the age of eight, just before the outbreak of World War II. Due to Austria’s annexation by the German Empire, Victor’s family is suddenly labelled an enemy of the state by the Dutch government. As a result, their possessions, including Grand Hotel Lembang, are seized. Family members are sent to Dutch camps, while Victor and his aunt are interned in an isolated mountain village.
As Victor matures, a hidden family secret of infidelity and his own illicit origins come to light, leading him to a profound search for identity.
At twenty-five, amidst political turmoil in Indonesia, Victor makes the life-altering decision to leave his homeland for Europe, embarking on a transformative journey that ultimately leads him to the love of his life.
From a lively child, Victor learns to become invisible in a world where silence is survival. This instinct, protecting himself and his loved ones, ultimately becomes a hindrance, leading to physical illness. Victor must find his voice. You will come to love Victor as he grows from a vulnerable child into a resilient man. You fear for him, mourn with him and share in his triumphs. His relationship with his aunt Hilda—a complex, determined, and generous woman—is a constant source of love, guilt, discovery, and support throughout the war.
Even Without Blood is based on a true yet untold story, revealing a little-known chapter of WWII history. It explores the complex intersections of colonialism, political upheaval, the decolonization of Indonesia, and the profound impact these forces had on families.
Java, 1939.
Victor, the only child of an Austrian couple who settled in Java (a Dutch colony until 1949) in 1910, is born into a life of privilege. However, his world is shattered when he loses both parents at the age of eight, just before the outbreak of World War II. Due to Austria’s annexation by the German Empire, Victor’s family is suddenly labelled an enemy of the state by the Dutch government. As a result, their possessions, including Grand Hotel Lembang, are seized. Family members are sent to Dutch camps, while Victor and his aunt are interned in an isolated mountain village.
As Victor matures, a hidden family secret of infidelity and his own illicit origins come to light, leading him to a profound search for identity.
At twenty-five, amidst political turmoil in Indonesia, Victor makes the life-altering decision to leave his homeland for Europe, embarking on a transformative journey that ultimately leads him to the love of his life.
From a lively child, Victor learns to become invisible in a world where silence is survival. This instinct, protecting himself and his loved ones, ultimately becomes a hindrance, leading to physical illness. Victor must find his voice. You will come to love Victor as he grows from a vulnerable child into a resilient man. You fear for him, mourn with him and share in his triumphs. His relationship with his aunt Hilda—a complex, determined, and generous woman—is a constant source of love, guilt, discovery, and support throughout the war.
Even Without Blood is based on a true yet untold story, revealing a little-known chapter of WWII history. It explores the complex intersections of colonialism, political upheaval, the decolonization of Indonesia, and the profound impact these forces had on families.
320 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2024
About the author
Birgit Treipl
3 books21 followersBirgit Treipl (1965) is a Dutch Canadian author. She was born and raised in the Netherlands and holds a BA in marketing communications. Her career began in advertising, and she later founded a successful marketing and communications recruitment agency before immigrating to Canada. An outdoor enthusiast, she first moved to British Columbia and now splits her time between Nelson, British Columbia, and Seabright, Nova Scotia. Even Without Blood, drawn from her family history, is her first novel. First published as Schuilen Tussen Bamboe by HarperCollins Holland, the story was well received and praised by Dutch readers as a page turner.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 1, 2024
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. When I had to put it down to attend to work and household matters (and to sleep!), I could not wait to pick it up again. The sign of a good book to me is when I find myself saying the heck with chores or staying up half the night reading. I like a book that opens my eyes to something new, and makes me care about the characters. Even Without Blood did all those things. Author Birgit Treipl brings her father's remarkable story to light, revealing a World War II drama in the Dutch East Indies I was unaware of, and an aftermath that was equally devastating. I highly recommend this page turner!
October 10, 2024
This is Victor’s fascinating and factual life story. In his youth, he is a smart, typically carefree young boy whose life is far from ordinary. He lives in a grand hotel owned by his parents in quaint 1939 Java on the brink of World War II.
Then his privileged world is turned upside down when he loses both parents and suddenly has to adapt to the changes in his reality.
Woven into his transformation is a brutal war that he doesn’t understand but must learn how to navigate. Through his experience, we gain much insight into the history of the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia.
In order to survive, he moves several times with his aunt Hilda, his beloved guardian.
Victor eventually learns a family secret which shakes his world profoundly.
Even without Blood ,is a beautifully written narrative born out of a daughter’s love for her father and his incredible life story. The author knew it was not only an important part of her family history, but a gripping historical tale that needed to be told. I highly recommend this debut novel!
October 4, 2024
Even Without Blood by Birgit Treipl is a profoundly moving and beautifully crafted debut novel that deserves every one of its five stars. This historical fiction, based on a true story, takes readers on an emotional journey through the life of Victor, an orphaned boy in WWII Java.
From the very first page, Treipl’s storytelling captivates with its vivid descriptions and deep emotional resonance. Victor’s resilience and growth from a vulnerable child to a determined young man are portrayed with such authenticity that you can’t help but root for him. The novel’s exploration of identity, family secrets, and the impact of political upheaval is both heart-wrenching and inspiring.
The relationship between Victor and his aunt Hilda is a standout element, providing a complex and touching dynamic that adds depth to the narrative. Treipl’s ability to weave historical facts with personal stories makes this book not only a compelling read but also an enlightening one.
Overall, Even Without Blood is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to endure and find hope amidst the darkest times. It’s a must-read for anyone who appreciates historical fiction that is both educational and emotionally engaging. Highly recommended!
From the very first page, Treipl’s storytelling captivates with its vivid descriptions and deep emotional resonance. Victor’s resilience and growth from a vulnerable child to a determined young man are portrayed with such authenticity that you can’t help but root for him. The novel’s exploration of identity, family secrets, and the impact of political upheaval is both heart-wrenching and inspiring.
The relationship between Victor and his aunt Hilda is a standout element, providing a complex and touching dynamic that adds depth to the narrative. Treipl’s ability to weave historical facts with personal stories makes this book not only a compelling read but also an enlightening one.
Overall, Even Without Blood is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to endure and find hope amidst the darkest times. It’s a must-read for anyone who appreciates historical fiction that is both educational and emotionally engaging. Highly recommended!
October 29, 2024
Captivated on the first page. Remarkable story with a happy ending.
Birgit illuminates the impact WWII had on the people in the Dutch East Indies capturing many senses of the beauty as well as the challenges in Indonesia during that time ........ told with incredible detail through the experiences of a boy growing up.
Birgit illuminates the impact WWII had on the people in the Dutch East Indies capturing many senses of the beauty as well as the challenges in Indonesia during that time ........ told with incredible detail through the experiences of a boy growing up.
October 15, 2024
A young boy of Austrian background suffers turmoil and displacement in World War II Java in “Even Without Blood: The Remarkable Story of an Orphaned Boy in WWII Java” by Birgit Treipl. Eight-year-old Victor Treipl, affectionately known as Bubi, has an idyllic existence in the Dutch East Indies where his father and aunt own a luxury hotel. But stirrings of war in Europe have repercussions that begin to unravel his life of wealth and privilege. After tragically losing both parents within a week, Bubi has only his Aunt Hilda to care for him. Then he is expelled from school, “because you’re German,” and his male relatives are sent to a prison camp.
Soon afterward, Dutch authorities evict the young boy and his aunt from the hotel, and they are left with only a meager subsidy. Then they receive notice that the hotel has been sold, leaving Aunt Hilda and Bubi at their lowest point. The aunt laments, “The money for my old age and your school education, it’s all vanished into thin air.” The story continues, showing how the boy and his aunt survive the war and the Indonesian upheaval that follows. At last, at age twenty-five, Victor leaves the island for the Netherlands.
The story is told from the first-person point of view which draws the reader close, showing Bubi’s impressions of his native Java. The lush rainforest is fresh and alive. The young lad’s early life is in a tropical paradise at a place and time when Europeans lived there like kings and queens. When tragedy strikes, the boy’s grief is palpable and Aunt Hilda is always close, supporting young Victor through each crisis. The book shows how relationships among expatriates in Java are irrevocably changed with the coming of war in Europe and how latent prejudices can become manifest in the societal upheavals that follow.
The central theme is the love of an aunt for the young boy who early becomes an orphan and then has only her for his sole support. The author says it best. “My grandmother loved my dad dearly, more or less since his birth. They went through life together, through WWII. They lost everything. And they shared everything.”
Treipl’s great empathy for her family and great love for her father has created this deeply affecting story. The author shows how Victor goes through normal stages of growth that are impacted by extraordinary circumstances, contrasting his early youth when he had wealth, luxury, and prestige, to the abject reversals of wartime, suffering scarcity, and ill-treatment that continue into the post-war years. Seeing what happens from Victor’s perspective gives an immediacy to the story, which is enhanced by Treipl’s lyrical prose, bringing the reader into the family circle, sharing their joys and heartaches.
The author wisely chose to write the story as fiction, knowing that deeper truths are thereby revealed than what can be shown in nonfiction. Choosing the first-person POV gave the finishing touch, creating a truly first-rate book of its genre. “Even Without Blood” is an epic story of love, the love of a childless woman for an orphaned nephew, and the book is a worthy tribute to the memory of Treipl’s father.
Soon afterward, Dutch authorities evict the young boy and his aunt from the hotel, and they are left with only a meager subsidy. Then they receive notice that the hotel has been sold, leaving Aunt Hilda and Bubi at their lowest point. The aunt laments, “The money for my old age and your school education, it’s all vanished into thin air.” The story continues, showing how the boy and his aunt survive the war and the Indonesian upheaval that follows. At last, at age twenty-five, Victor leaves the island for the Netherlands.
The story is told from the first-person point of view which draws the reader close, showing Bubi’s impressions of his native Java. The lush rainforest is fresh and alive. The young lad’s early life is in a tropical paradise at a place and time when Europeans lived there like kings and queens. When tragedy strikes, the boy’s grief is palpable and Aunt Hilda is always close, supporting young Victor through each crisis. The book shows how relationships among expatriates in Java are irrevocably changed with the coming of war in Europe and how latent prejudices can become manifest in the societal upheavals that follow.
The central theme is the love of an aunt for the young boy who early becomes an orphan and then has only her for his sole support. The author says it best. “My grandmother loved my dad dearly, more or less since his birth. They went through life together, through WWII. They lost everything. And they shared everything.”
Treipl’s great empathy for her family and great love for her father has created this deeply affecting story. The author shows how Victor goes through normal stages of growth that are impacted by extraordinary circumstances, contrasting his early youth when he had wealth, luxury, and prestige, to the abject reversals of wartime, suffering scarcity, and ill-treatment that continue into the post-war years. Seeing what happens from Victor’s perspective gives an immediacy to the story, which is enhanced by Treipl’s lyrical prose, bringing the reader into the family circle, sharing their joys and heartaches.
The author wisely chose to write the story as fiction, knowing that deeper truths are thereby revealed than what can be shown in nonfiction. Choosing the first-person POV gave the finishing touch, creating a truly first-rate book of its genre. “Even Without Blood” is an epic story of love, the love of a childless woman for an orphaned nephew, and the book is a worthy tribute to the memory of Treipl’s father.
November 1, 2024
Fantastic read. An intriguing family story with the backdrop of WW11, a different view from your usual WW11 storyline. Very well done.
November 17, 2024
This is a captivating story of a boy growing up during World War II in Java. He is caught between warring countries and factions that continued to change throughout the war and after, and this book recounts the experiences that affected his life. I have read literally a couple of hundred books that took place during World War II but none that took place in that part of the world. I found it enlightening and educational but also an easy read. And that fact that it's a true story based on the experiences of the author's father makes even more interesting. Highly recommend. Thank you Book Sirens for my ARC.
December 6, 2024
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟5 Stars for Even Without Blood by Birgit Treipl!
📖🪙
What I Loved:
• The authenticity! Birgit Treipl's personal connection to the story infuses each page with a palpable sense of truth and emotion. It's not just a historical recount but a love letter to her father's resilience.📜💌
• The setting! Java in the 1930s and 40s comes alive with vivid descriptions that transport you to a world of lush rainforests and the stark realities of war.🏞️🪖
• Victor's growth! Watching Bubi evolve from a carefree boy to a young man navigating the complexities of war, loss, and identity was both heart-wrenching and inspiring.💔🤩
• The relationship between Victor and Aunt Hilda! Their bond is the emotional backbone of this narrative, showcasing love and sacrifice in its purest form.🤟🩷
Room for a Tiny Bit More:
• The occasional break from the narrative to include interviews with the real Victor was unique, but it did momentarily pull me out of the story's flow. However, it also added a touching layer of authenticity. 🌟
📖🪙
Oh, what a treasure of a book! Even Without Blood by Birgit Treipl is a captivating journey into the heart of WWII Java, told through the eyes of young Victor "Bubi" Treipl. This indie gem has left me spellbound🧙♀️, and here's why you should dive into this remarkable story:🪄
What I Loved:
• The authenticity! Birgit Treipl's personal connection to the story infuses each page with a palpable sense of truth and emotion. It's not just a historical recount but a love letter to her father's resilience.📜💌
• The setting! Java in the 1930s and 40s comes alive with vivid descriptions that transport you to a world of lush rainforests and the stark realities of war.🏞️🪖
• Victor's growth! Watching Bubi evolve from a carefree boy to a young man navigating the complexities of war, loss, and identity was both heart-wrenching and inspiring.💔🤩
• The relationship between Victor and Aunt Hilda! Their bond is the emotional backbone of this narrative, showcasing love and sacrifice in its purest form.🤟🩷
Room for a Tiny Bit More:
• The occasional break from the narrative to include interviews with the real Victor was unique, but it did momentarily pull me out of the story's flow. However, it also added a touching layer of authenticity. 🌟
Birgit Treipl has crafted a narrative that's not only a tribute to her father but also an enlightening piece of historical fiction. The book explores themes of family, survival, and the human spirit's capacity to endure. The prose is lyrical yet grounded, making the harsh realities of war and the beauty of Java's landscapes equally compelling💫✨.
From the moment I opened the book, I was hooked. The story's pacing, combined with the emotional depth, made it impossible to put down. Even when life demanded my attention elsewhere, my mind was still with Bubi, worrying and hoping for him.✨
This novel is a testament to the power of storytelling, where history and personal experience intertwine to create something truly special. It's a story that opens your eyes to lesser-known aspects of WWII, all while making you care deeply about its characters.
I received a copy from the author for my review, and I am so grateful because Even Without Blood has not only entertained me but also enriched my understanding of a pivotal time in history. If you're a fan of historical fiction that's both educational and emotionally engaging, you owe it to yourself to read this book. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good story with a heart. 📚❤️
September 26, 2024
Even Without Blood is a deeply engrossing WWII perspective you’ve probably never read before. Victor and his aunt Hilda’s story are abundant with yearning, guilt, and discovery. Peer behind the bamboo to encounter a boy whose coming of age amid war propels him out of colonial Indonesia to fashion a life beyond the family’s loss of the Grand Hotel Lembang. You’ll root for Victor on his quest to survive and find himself—and to create a family when all seems lost. Political upheaval, war, and decolonization. In sensuous and lucid prose, Birgit Treipl writes a WWII story that is unlike any other you’ve read, seen, or heard. Immersive, immediate, true. 5 stars.
November 21, 2024
What a story! Though written as fiction, this novel is based on the life of the author's father, an Austrian born and raised during World War II on the island of Java, in what is now Indonesia. The story begins before the war and follows him through family tragedies and the losses caused by the war.
The twists and turns in this novel make it a page-turner. The events are at turns heartbreaking and inspirational and could be featured in a Hollywood movie. I recommend this engaging read to anyone.
The twists and turns in this novel make it a page-turner. The events are at turns heartbreaking and inspirational and could be featured in a Hollywood movie. I recommend this engaging read to anyone.
December 17, 2024
This book was given to me by a Dutch East Indies Indonesian born friend. I would never have stumbled across it otherwise. It is an amazing read ... Engaging, heartbreaking and very very real. The author should be congratulated for bringing this story and little know aspect of WW2 to life. Thank you 🙏🏼
I am a great lover of all things Indonesia and relished every moment of the book.
I am a great lover of all things Indonesia and relished every moment of the book.
December 24, 2024
A wonderful story of family, love, and resilience, beautifully written with a very authentic voice. At times it made me laugh and in some places it broke my heart. The author paints a picture of a time and place I wasn’t familiar with; of a country her father was born in, and loved, but wasn’t his.
April 24, 2025
I enjoyed this book. it was well written, based on the authors fathers experiences in world War 2. this is a unique perspective as it was set in the Dutch indies and the main character was Austrian so treated and persecuted as a German.
November 24, 2024
A remarkable story of love, resilience and unbreakable spirits. A story hard to fathom in our comfortable world. I highly recommend especially if you are a WWII buff.
March 18, 2025
INDEPENDENT BOOK REVIEW
A Celebration of Small Press and Self-Published Books
Even Without Blood by Birgit Treipl
Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction
Reviewed by Peter Hassebroek
A novelized true story about an Austrian boy and his family impacted by WWII in the Dutch East Indies
The prologue opening Even Without Blood establishes a biographical foundation, including real names for many characters, for this captivating and intimate work of historical fiction.
Victor “Bubi” Treipl’s story begins in 1938 at the family owned and operated (and still existing) Grand Hotel Lembang in Bandung, West Java. A somewhat introverted eight-year-old, Victor is home-schooled along with two other students by a tutor in the hotel. The ones in charge are Papi, his father, and Aunty Hilda, while his adored mother occupies a lesser role.
While primarily contained within the hotel grounds, other family members and local servants are always around, so Bubi’s life is rich with human contact. He only becomes aware something’s amiss after explaining his domestic dynamic to Missy, his teacher, and she demonstrates an interest in how things are organized at his home.
This mystery has to wait for Victor (and the reader) because the family's contented bubble is about to burst. First by the successive tragic deaths of his parents to illness, then World War II. Being Austrian equates to being German in the Dutch East Indies; therefore, when Germany attacks Holland in 1940, Victor and his family are classified as enemy civilians.
Victor is expelled from the Dutch school he had recently enrolled in, just as he was making new friends. More traumatically, the beloved family hotel is seized and entrusted to a scheming, caretaker manager. The family is interned and separated, putting Bubi and his aunt in the hands of successive authorities.
First it's the Dutch, and then the Japanese. After the war, they must contend with freedom fighters, communists, and the Dutch again during the revolution (bersiap) of an unstable country that eventually became Indonesia.
In parallel, Victor is developing his will and independence in his adolescence. This leads to conflicts with his aunt as their priorities diverge and learning the family truths he was too young to grasp before.
The only constant over the years is that each new environment is hostile in one way or another, requiring constant alertness and necessitating difficult decisions to survive. Good fortune too, as when Victor and his best friend go to a city to barter.
The elements and research are impressive, coming together to create a story both personal to the author/daughter and still holding universal appeal. Narrating from a growing child's perspective opens up the dramatic irony to infuse mystery and other plot elements to turn what could be an interesting but conventional biography into something much richer.
I found the infusion of a fourth-wall breaking interviews with the real Victor an unusual choice. An intimate way of honoring the source, perhaps, or to affirm the novel still being tethered to reality, but it feels more like narrative interruptions, even if the adult perspective is useful.
Victor's experiences are extraordinary but never sound implausible or exaggerated. His voice is natural and sincere, even seeming to mature in tune with his getting older. Along with the use of the present tense and observational detail, it brings the reader close to the lush, exotic surroundings while also revealing the breadth of global conflict. Particularly how the lines between ally and adversary can fluctuate and weave.
In Even Without Blood, Treipl successfully weaves biography and history into a compelling coming-of-age story.
A Celebration of Small Press and Self-Published Books
Even Without Blood by Birgit Treipl
Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction
Reviewed by Peter Hassebroek
A novelized true story about an Austrian boy and his family impacted by WWII in the Dutch East Indies
The prologue opening Even Without Blood establishes a biographical foundation, including real names for many characters, for this captivating and intimate work of historical fiction.
Victor “Bubi” Treipl’s story begins in 1938 at the family owned and operated (and still existing) Grand Hotel Lembang in Bandung, West Java. A somewhat introverted eight-year-old, Victor is home-schooled along with two other students by a tutor in the hotel. The ones in charge are Papi, his father, and Aunty Hilda, while his adored mother occupies a lesser role.
While primarily contained within the hotel grounds, other family members and local servants are always around, so Bubi’s life is rich with human contact. He only becomes aware something’s amiss after explaining his domestic dynamic to Missy, his teacher, and she demonstrates an interest in how things are organized at his home.
This mystery has to wait for Victor (and the reader) because the family's contented bubble is about to burst. First by the successive tragic deaths of his parents to illness, then World War II. Being Austrian equates to being German in the Dutch East Indies; therefore, when Germany attacks Holland in 1940, Victor and his family are classified as enemy civilians.
Victor is expelled from the Dutch school he had recently enrolled in, just as he was making new friends. More traumatically, the beloved family hotel is seized and entrusted to a scheming, caretaker manager. The family is interned and separated, putting Bubi and his aunt in the hands of successive authorities.
First it's the Dutch, and then the Japanese. After the war, they must contend with freedom fighters, communists, and the Dutch again during the revolution (bersiap) of an unstable country that eventually became Indonesia.
In parallel, Victor is developing his will and independence in his adolescence. This leads to conflicts with his aunt as their priorities diverge and learning the family truths he was too young to grasp before.
The only constant over the years is that each new environment is hostile in one way or another, requiring constant alertness and necessitating difficult decisions to survive. Good fortune too, as when Victor and his best friend go to a city to barter.
The elements and research are impressive, coming together to create a story both personal to the author/daughter and still holding universal appeal. Narrating from a growing child's perspective opens up the dramatic irony to infuse mystery and other plot elements to turn what could be an interesting but conventional biography into something much richer.
I found the infusion of a fourth-wall breaking interviews with the real Victor an unusual choice. An intimate way of honoring the source, perhaps, or to affirm the novel still being tethered to reality, but it feels more like narrative interruptions, even if the adult perspective is useful.
Victor's experiences are extraordinary but never sound implausible or exaggerated. His voice is natural and sincere, even seeming to mature in tune with his getting older. Along with the use of the present tense and observational detail, it brings the reader close to the lush, exotic surroundings while also revealing the breadth of global conflict. Particularly how the lines between ally and adversary can fluctuate and weave.
In Even Without Blood, Treipl successfully weaves biography and history into a compelling coming-of-age story.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews