What do you think?
Rate this book
Sky : A True Story of Courage During World War II
From the moment she agreed to work for the underground Dutch resistance forces against the Nazis, Hanneke Eikema had only two goals--to protect the persecuted and not to get caught. But after two years Hanneke--though just a teenager--was discovered by the Germans and sentenced to life in prison. Now Henneke tells her story in a powerful narrative that vividly describes an era that is so haunting to us still. Photos and maps. 128 p.
Library Binding
First published April 1, 1996
6 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 1, 2022
Such a good book. Lots of details of what it was like to work in the resistance. Scary, emotional and astonishing.
June 5, 2017
This book is absolutely amazing. It leaves you with suspense after every chapter you read, its a very quick read. This book also teaches you about some dutch history during world war two, what people did, what challenges people had to face, the rules that dutch men and women had to follow or they would be punished. My favorite part about this book though is that the author is telling the story from her point of view because its a true story about what she did to help the dutch community during world war two. The name of the author is Hanneke Ippisch and what she did was she joined a resistance and slowly but surely moved herself up in the rankings after doing many difficult tasks. She had to transport Jewish families to safe locations where they could live, she had to transport contraband to families, she had to sneak out after curfew and if she was caught she could have been killed, she did so many things and never once got caught until a meeting meant for the resistance members only.
July 13, 2019
This was highly recommended in the book basket recommendations for My Father's World 1850 to Modern. I was surprised at how no-nonsense the writing was, pretty detached emotionally. It was almost laughable that her chapter entitled "Feelings" at the end of the book was only half a page. But that tells you quite a bit, doesn't it? She really had an amazing youth! It was sad to read of the deaths of those in the Resistance, and I'm glad she survived. I'm encouraged by the bravery of those who helped save the Jews or resist the German occupation. I am not sure if I'll have Caleb read this or The Hiding Place or both, for our WW2/Holocaust literature. This is a fast read. (One comment when she's in prison on how the Germans put camphor in their food to stop the natural desires and cycles of women.)
September 8, 2011
It isn’t uncommon for soldiers to return home from combat and never speak about their experiences. It is apparently also uncommon for people who work in resistance movements during a war to wait a long time before speaking about their experiences, if ever. Hanneke Ippisch was a young girl when World War II began, but she waited until she was 70 years old before telling her story about working for the Dutch Resistance. Hanneke was the younger daughter of a minister and his wife. She and her sister had a very comfortable life before Holland was forcibly occupied by the National Socialists in May 1940.
Everybody’s life immediately changed. Anything the Nazis needed/wanted was confiscated – they began with food and bicycles, which the Dutch were very dependent on. Later, they demanded anything, including long cherished family heirlooms, made of copper, brass and pewter be handed over, to be melted for bullets. And then, a curfew was established to curb any illegal activities. Life became harder and more unpleasant for everyone.
One night in 1943, Hanneke overheard her father speaking with a woman. Realizing what the conversation was about, she followed the woman home and told her she also wanted to work for the resistance. The woman told her to think about it for a few months.
Three months later, with the situation in Holland growing worse day by day, Hanneke went back to the woman and said she still wanted to work for the resistance. She was told to meet a certain man the next day, who gave her her first assignment - to bring false identity papers and food coupons to a Jewish family in hiding.
From then on, Hanneke’s job was to provide assistance to Jews. This included finding and escorting them to safe houses and even, sometimes, helping them escape Holland, getting food stamps and other necessities to them when they are in hiding and once resorting to hiding a group of Jews in the floor boards of her parent’s home. She was also responsible for taking Jewish children to the homes of Gentiles willing to take care of them as their own until after the war.
There were nine separate resistance organization in Holland during the war and Ms. Ippish gives some interesting details about they how worked together to accomplish things. Each group specialized in one area, for example, sabotage; falsifying documents, ID cards, food coupons etc; obtaining money to run things and cover expenses; assisting Jews,; communication specialists; printing specialists; and coding and decoding, where her father worked.
During the last year of the war, Hanneke, by now a very trusted member of the resistance, was given a new job. Every Friday, she was to find a place for the heads of the nine organizations for meet. One Friday in January 1945, she arrived at the meeting and was immediately arrested by the Nazis, along with five of the leaders.
She was put in prison, where conditions were deplorable. Prisoners were given little to eat, and often the rats got to it first, and everyone was covered with lice. Hanneke spent the rest of the war in a small, wet cell with five other women, except for the five days she spent alone in a dungeon room too small to even lie down in. But despite all this, she managed to not give any information to the Nazis when she was interrogated. Hanneke was still in prison when the war ended. All of the leaders of the resistance who had been arrested with her had been executed as traitors.
After the war, Hanneke worked in a variety of post war related jobs, before migrating to Montana in 1956, where she apparently still lives.
Sky is an interesting, exciting introduction to the Dutch Resistance told through one person’s personal involvement. It is a well-written book; the language used is clear and concise, making it an excellent introduction to this subject for young readers. Aside from detailing her own fascinating part in the resistance, Ms. Ippisch gives a comprehensive picture of what life was like for the people of Dutch under the Nazis. She also includes a selection of supporting photographs, many from her family’s collection; other photos were taken on a trip to Holland she made with her husband in the 1980s.
Also included are also copies of both real and counterfeit documents relating to the resistance. All information in occupied Holland was censured by the Nazis, but, at great risk, a copy from part of a newspaper that the allies dropped to let people know how the war was going outside the Netherlands, was saved by Hanneke’s family and is reproduced in Shy. A copy of the newspaper, “Haarlemsche Courant,” that was produced by the printing organization of the resistance, is also included though it is written in Dutch.
I think young readers might also be fascinated to see the incredibly small letters that she was able to sneak out to her family while in prison, especially when they read about how they were written and the translation of one letter and see how much information Hanneke was able to include on it.
This book is recommended for readers aged 9 and up.
This book was borrowed from the Soundview Branch of the NYPL.
Everybody’s life immediately changed. Anything the Nazis needed/wanted was confiscated – they began with food and bicycles, which the Dutch were very dependent on. Later, they demanded anything, including long cherished family heirlooms, made of copper, brass and pewter be handed over, to be melted for bullets. And then, a curfew was established to curb any illegal activities. Life became harder and more unpleasant for everyone.
One night in 1943, Hanneke overheard her father speaking with a woman. Realizing what the conversation was about, she followed the woman home and told her she also wanted to work for the resistance. The woman told her to think about it for a few months.
Three months later, with the situation in Holland growing worse day by day, Hanneke went back to the woman and said she still wanted to work for the resistance. She was told to meet a certain man the next day, who gave her her first assignment - to bring false identity papers and food coupons to a Jewish family in hiding.
From then on, Hanneke’s job was to provide assistance to Jews. This included finding and escorting them to safe houses and even, sometimes, helping them escape Holland, getting food stamps and other necessities to them when they are in hiding and once resorting to hiding a group of Jews in the floor boards of her parent’s home. She was also responsible for taking Jewish children to the homes of Gentiles willing to take care of them as their own until after the war.
There were nine separate resistance organization in Holland during the war and Ms. Ippish gives some interesting details about they how worked together to accomplish things. Each group specialized in one area, for example, sabotage; falsifying documents, ID cards, food coupons etc; obtaining money to run things and cover expenses; assisting Jews,; communication specialists; printing specialists; and coding and decoding, where her father worked.
During the last year of the war, Hanneke, by now a very trusted member of the resistance, was given a new job. Every Friday, she was to find a place for the heads of the nine organizations for meet. One Friday in January 1945, she arrived at the meeting and was immediately arrested by the Nazis, along with five of the leaders.
She was put in prison, where conditions were deplorable. Prisoners were given little to eat, and often the rats got to it first, and everyone was covered with lice. Hanneke spent the rest of the war in a small, wet cell with five other women, except for the five days she spent alone in a dungeon room too small to even lie down in. But despite all this, she managed to not give any information to the Nazis when she was interrogated. Hanneke was still in prison when the war ended. All of the leaders of the resistance who had been arrested with her had been executed as traitors.
After the war, Hanneke worked in a variety of post war related jobs, before migrating to Montana in 1956, where she apparently still lives.
Sky is an interesting, exciting introduction to the Dutch Resistance told through one person’s personal involvement. It is a well-written book; the language used is clear and concise, making it an excellent introduction to this subject for young readers. Aside from detailing her own fascinating part in the resistance, Ms. Ippisch gives a comprehensive picture of what life was like for the people of Dutch under the Nazis. She also includes a selection of supporting photographs, many from her family’s collection; other photos were taken on a trip to Holland she made with her husband in the 1980s.
Also included are also copies of both real and counterfeit documents relating to the resistance. All information in occupied Holland was censured by the Nazis, but, at great risk, a copy from part of a newspaper that the allies dropped to let people know how the war was going outside the Netherlands, was saved by Hanneke’s family and is reproduced in Shy. A copy of the newspaper, “Haarlemsche Courant,” that was produced by the printing organization of the resistance, is also included though it is written in Dutch.
I think young readers might also be fascinated to see the incredibly small letters that she was able to sneak out to her family while in prison, especially when they read about how they were written and the translation of one letter and see how much information Hanneke was able to include on it.
This book is recommended for readers aged 9 and up.
This book was borrowed from the Soundview Branch of the NYPL.
March 6, 2017
Keep in mind this isn't a novel or a lengthy non-fiction piece. It is an older woman's collection of memories from when she was a young woman in Holland during WWII. She is not Jewish so this isn't a view of life from that perspective. She tells about her family's experience and her own during the war including her work as part of the Dutch Resistance. The chapters are brief and to the point. There aren't long, drawn out descriptions or narratives which makes it a good book for those wanting a quick read, a glimpse into one life or for older elementary and middle school students. There is no language or sexual content and little violence. But her story is a well written memory about life for non Jews and ordinary people in Holland. The war took its toll on everyone. The extent people went to in order to survive and often maintain their sense of morality never ceases to amaze me. There are several pictures and interesting documents included in the book as well.
May 21, 2015
Sky is a true story, a biography of sorts, written by Hanneke Ippisch. It is a tale of her childhood and life during the second world war. During the war, Hanneke decided that she wanted to contribute so she joined the Dutch resistance forces. Sky is her story of life, contribution, capture, and bravery. Not a lot of women during World War 2 would have had the courage to do what she did. Her story is truly an inspiration to all who have the pleasure to read it. I read Sky because I needed to read a biography for my English class. I was expecting a boring book that I would probably fall asleep while reading. To my surprise, however, it kept my attention with every word, making me wish that I was as brave as Hanneke while giving me hope that I could be. Sky is a truly inspirational story that I will not soon forget.
October 19, 2022
This was such a good memoir written for ages 12 & up. A young Dutch girl shares her story of life before the German invasion in World War II, and then afterwards when she joined the Dutch resistance and was imprisoned.
Life from a child's perspective is always interesting. Life from a child's perspective during war is always sobering because they are forced to shoulder difficult burdens that many people cannot relate to.
The chapters are short and the book is full of black and white photos throughout. The author is an excellent writer, and this book would be a great supplement for history class and homeschool.
Life from a child's perspective is always interesting. Life from a child's perspective during war is always sobering because they are forced to shoulder difficult burdens that many people cannot relate to.
The chapters are short and the book is full of black and white photos throughout. The author is an excellent writer, and this book would be a great supplement for history class and homeschool.
July 4, 2022
Short, poignant autobiographical story of the author's life and family in pre-war Holland and her choice to join the Resistance during Holland's occupation by Germany in World War 2. The very brevity of her story adds to its veracity.
(After the war, Hanneke Ippisch came to the United States and eventually settled in the state of Montana. It was through a "Montana authors" website that I discovered this fascinating book.)
(After the war, Hanneke Ippisch came to the United States and eventually settled in the state of Montana. It was through a "Montana authors" website that I discovered this fascinating book.)
November 10, 2014
This was very interesting to read. Written for teen reading. Found the book for 99 cents at my local Goodwill. Of great interest to me since my family is Dutch heritage, with my paternal grandfather from Gronigen. This is a good read for those of us who didn't understand much of the German Nazi occupation in the Netherlands.
August 2, 2019
I don’t think you could describe a book centered around WW II as refreshing, but some how this was. Mostly I would like thank the author, Henneke Ippisch, for putting her life experience into book format. She has shared hope from a hopeless time. Her family should treasure this and the rest of us learn from it.
July 31, 2008
I met this tiny always smiling sprite of a woman as I drove into her Schoolhouse and Teacherage bed & breakfast off of 9-mile road in western Montana. Who would imagine that this gentle soul would have been a member of the Dutch resistance during WWII.
November 26, 2018
Very quick read, I was hoping it would tell a few more detailed stories about her experiences, but was nonetheless impressed with the book. It's the type of story that adds alot of the human color/cost of war and hate. Very quick read, that will leave me thinking for a while.
September 24, 2017
Very short chapters, to the point with little embellishments.
November 26, 2023
Hanneke Ippisch was fifteen years old when the Germans invaded Holland in 1940. Up to that time her childhood was a normal one, her father was a pastor, so his family was known throughout the region. At first, the German occupation was fairly mild, and the war damage was localized, so little changed. However, as the war continued the Germans began their process of removing what they considered undesirables and confiscating materials they needed for their war effort. This included conscripting men to work in jobs supporting the Wehrmacht. As the German grip on Holland tightened, Ippisch began working for the Dutch underground in opposing the Germans.
Her actions put her at great risk, for the Germans reacted very harshly to any action they deemed as anti-German. For some time, she was able to carry out her actions, but late in the war she was captured and thrown into a dank prison. Fortunately, she was able to survive her incarceration and was released when the Germans were defeated.
When a country is invaded and occupied, there is a brief interlude where both sides take a pause and tolerate each other. Then, the people of the occupied country split into what are essentially three groups. Those that collaborate for personal gain, those that do all they can to stay neutral and those that engage in actions of brave resistance.
This is the story of a young woman that chose the path of resistance and lived to write about it once the horror of the war was over. It is a tale of courage in the face of great danger.
Her actions put her at great risk, for the Germans reacted very harshly to any action they deemed as anti-German. For some time, she was able to carry out her actions, but late in the war she was captured and thrown into a dank prison. Fortunately, she was able to survive her incarceration and was released when the Germans were defeated.
When a country is invaded and occupied, there is a brief interlude where both sides take a pause and tolerate each other. Then, the people of the occupied country split into what are essentially three groups. Those that collaborate for personal gain, those that do all they can to stay neutral and those that engage in actions of brave resistance.
This is the story of a young woman that chose the path of resistance and lived to write about it once the horror of the war was over. It is a tale of courage in the face of great danger.
February 18, 2025
I was fortunate enough in the early 2000s (2002 I believe), to meet Hanneke in my home town of Yelm, WA (USA). She did a reading from her book at the local library. Wondering why there was a small knot of people forming around an old lady, a curious 13 year-old me went over and ended up listening to her reading, the Q&A, and when the signing started, I wasn’t able to afford a book for her to sign, so I started to quietly make my way out of the space, but she stopped me and chided me for not asking. That was my first signed book.
Some may see her writing as somewhat detached or analytical, but in person, I promise you, she conveyed much, much more.
This is a beautiful book and will always be special to me.
Some may see her writing as somewhat detached or analytical, but in person, I promise you, she conveyed much, much more.
This is a beautiful book and will always be special to me.
Read
July 9, 2020I won't rate this one, because I have no idea how. The story was interesting; it turns out I didn't know much about the resistance during the war. On the other hand, the book is clearly not aimed at Dutch people, as quite some part of it explains Dutch customs and such. Moreover, the writing style is bad and the few German sentences used throughout, supposedly to create some authenticity, could have been checked by someone who understood the language; as is, they contain many mistakes.
To be fair, I don't think the author meant to write a literary masterpiece; only to tell the world about her experiences in the resistance. In that aspect, I think she did a pretty good job.
To be fair, I don't think the author meant to write a literary masterpiece; only to tell the world about her experiences in the resistance. In that aspect, I think she did a pretty good job.
July 17, 2019
YA (geared to age 11 and up) short autobiography/memoir of World War II in the Netherlands and working with the Resistance. Told in short snips and quick memoir style, rather than a long narrative, similar to how memories run through one's mind. Photos of memorabilia and letters are included. I found the short snapshots of stories interesting, a good way to introduce this topic to young readers and perhaps get your own jumping off spot for more thorough reading about the German occupation of Holland and the Dutch Resistance.
January 4, 2018
I think that this book is a very interesting book about a woman who helps jewish people go into hiding during World War II. This book is an autobiography about the author Hanneke Ippisch who was a young woman who saved and helped a lot of jewish people during the holocaust and became a hero. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who is interested in World War II or doing an assignment on it because it really went in depth on what it was like for jewish people during the holocaust.
August 22, 2018
Interesting true story. I did not know anything about the Dutch resistance during WWII. She was a brave young woman. I especially liked the photographs of the actual people and places that she wrote about in her book.
November 27, 2018
This book is very visual. When I was reading the in-depth details I could easily picture the events that happened. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to learn about different way offering obvious choices.
April 15, 2019
Very undecided about how to rate this. I think my hesitation comes from jumbled past life memories. I hoped to find something here, and didn't. Very good that it is written though, and I wish more people had written about their experiences.
September 19, 2019
I really liked this book because it was extremely interesting to read with all of the things that happened.
April 24, 2021
Omg... it was absolutely amazing.... probably the most inspiring book yet
August 27, 2022
True story of the life of Hanneke Ippisch who was brave enough to work for the resistance during WWII. Her memories are so inciteful and, I'm sure, was a very hard story to tell!
October 3, 2018
I really admired her bravery to join the Resistance. She really was an exceptional person and that showed in this book.
February 5, 2017
The book Sky is a fascinating book on courage during world war two. Written by the woman herself the story of Hanneke Ippisch is absolutely amazing. The biography is full of interesting stories and facts of her contribution to the war. When the book starts off it shows how her life was growing up and how she lived before the war began. One interesting story she told was a parade she participated in when she was young were her mother made them overalls. Growing up she was always doing what she wanted and always set goals. When the war starts she begins to go to secret meetings where she goes to learn, when a girl in her class is killed because she is a Jew, Hanneke begins to work for the resistance. The story is very well written and is a great book to read to learn about world war two. I recommend this for all readers especially if looking for a biography to read. Sky was an amazing book and I enjoyed reading it.
April 14, 2009
Sky by Hanneke Ippisch was a really cool book for many different reasons. It one of those books that make you wont to cry because you know that stuff really happened to these people. It talks about nothing but the truth of what happened during the holocaust. I do not know of any other books she has wrought but this was by far my favorite book I have read this year. The way the book is worded makes you fill like you was there for real. It tells in dental what was going on in that specific second. After I started reading this book I did not won’t to read another holocaust book ever again because it was that detailed.
April 22, 2015
This was a quick read (read it at my daughter's soccer practice, walking up and down the sidewalk) that my youngest had checked out as part of a research project on the Dutch resistance in WWII. It wasn't a very indepth story, but the photos that were included gave a visual aspect to the story that is often lacking in history books. This is a good book for a middle schooler doing a project.
September 9, 2009
This was actually a pretty good book and if you are on my team at school , it gets you extra credit!! This tells a story that you don't usually read about World War II and it's all completely true. The author was writing about her life and wrote this at age 70!!
November 18, 2013
It is very simply written, and very matter of fact. As simple and straightforward as it is, the writing is still a work of art as the author recalls some very intense memories. I appreciate the different perspective on WWII - a resistance worker in Holland. It was very insightful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews