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Things We Couldn't Say
Things we couldn't say is the true story of Diet [pronounced Deet] Eman, a young Dutch woman who, with her fiance, Hein Sietsma, risked everything to rescue Jews imperiled by Nazi persecution in occupied Holland during World War II. Throughout the years that Diet and Hein aided the Resistance - work that would cost Diet her freedom and Hein his life - their courageous effort ultimately saved the lives of hundreds of Dutch Jews.
This book is Diet Eman's account of that tumultuous period. The first-person narrative vividly captures the events of her brave saga - from her initial engagement with Hein in the Resistance operation, to her eventual arrest and imprisonment at the Vught concentration camp, to the final grim toll of the war that devastated all of Europe. Diary entries that Diet and Hein logged during the war as well as excerpts from personal letters that passed between the two young lovers detail their thoughts and emotions during those years.
Here is a story that has all the emotional impact of The Diary of Anne Frank and all the drama of The Hiding Place. Diet Eman's Things We Couldn't Say is an unforgettable story of heroism, faith, and - above all - love. It is also one of the great Christian stories of the twentieth century - the story of two people whose faith compelled them to stand up to the most sinister evil their generation has ever witnessed.
This book is Diet Eman's account of that tumultuous period. The first-person narrative vividly captures the events of her brave saga - from her initial engagement with Hein in the Resistance operation, to her eventual arrest and imprisonment at the Vught concentration camp, to the final grim toll of the war that devastated all of Europe. Diary entries that Diet and Hein logged during the war as well as excerpts from personal letters that passed between the two young lovers detail their thoughts and emotions during those years.
Here is a story that has all the emotional impact of The Diary of Anne Frank and all the drama of The Hiding Place. Diet Eman's Things We Couldn't Say is an unforgettable story of heroism, faith, and - above all - love. It is also one of the great Christian stories of the twentieth century - the story of two people whose faith compelled them to stand up to the most sinister evil their generation has ever witnessed.
390 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1994
77 people are currently reading
4551 people want to read
About the author
Diet Eman
4 books20 followersDiet Eman was a young woman during the Nazi invasion of Holland during WWII. She, along with many other members of the Resistance including her fiance, worked to hide Jewish people from the Nazi's. She was arrested and imprisoned for a time. She wrote a book entitled "Things We Couldn't Say" which tells the story of her time during WWII and how her faith sustained her.
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June 8, 2017
I decided to read a couple of first-hand accounts by women of their experiences during WW2 in different countries. Next up is the journal of Helene Berr, a young French woman. These though are the memoirs of Diet Eman, a young Dutch woman who worked for the Resistance in and around the Hague. Much of her work was hiding Jewish families. At the end of the war it was discovered every single one of the Jews she had helped survived.
This has a very chatty style, often incorporating letters and diary entries. At the beginning of the war Diet falls in love and her boyfriend too works for the resistance. Both are devout Christians. I continually marvelled at how much strain she was under and how brave she was. There’s one instance when she’s accompanying a Rabbi and his wife on a train – the Rabbi couldn’t look more Jewish, what’s more he isn’t particularly nice (though wealthy he refuses to pay a minimal sum towards the welfare of a Jewish orphan, a very young boy Diet and her group are trying to keep safe). A Gestapo check seems inevitable and yet she keeps her nerve. She risks her own life for a man who quite frankly doesn’t deserve her generosity. The same man will cause her more problems later in the war – this time he refuses to live in a house where a couple are engaged in extra-marital sex and again she has to risk her life for him by moving him. Eventually both Diet and her boyfriend Hein are arrested and the narrative begins to acquire the tension of a thriller. An incredibly brave but self-effacing woman.
Now I’m off to vote Labour!
This has a very chatty style, often incorporating letters and diary entries. At the beginning of the war Diet falls in love and her boyfriend too works for the resistance. Both are devout Christians. I continually marvelled at how much strain she was under and how brave she was. There’s one instance when she’s accompanying a Rabbi and his wife on a train – the Rabbi couldn’t look more Jewish, what’s more he isn’t particularly nice (though wealthy he refuses to pay a minimal sum towards the welfare of a Jewish orphan, a very young boy Diet and her group are trying to keep safe). A Gestapo check seems inevitable and yet she keeps her nerve. She risks her own life for a man who quite frankly doesn’t deserve her generosity. The same man will cause her more problems later in the war – this time he refuses to live in a house where a couple are engaged in extra-marital sex and again she has to risk her life for him by moving him. Eventually both Diet and her boyfriend Hein are arrested and the narrative begins to acquire the tension of a thriller. An incredibly brave but self-effacing woman.
Now I’m off to vote Labour!
May 5, 2020
It was fitting that I finished this book today, on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. Diet Eman's war biography is a heartfelt epitaph of the courage in the Dutch resistance against the Nazis.
At first, I was slightly concerned that this was one of those poorly-written war memoirs that excitedly recounts the author's war experiences in a scattershot fashion, rushing to hit the highlights and then haphazardly backfilling important information that wasn't properly organized in the flow originally. At first I also wondered if Diet's biblical and Christian references would start to overwhelm the narrative to the point of evangelism. However, as I got into her story, I realized how genuine and heartfelt she really was. This poor woman lived through a lot in the five years of the Dutch occupation, lost the love of her life, and had to be coaxed by family and friends to tell her story only many years later.
Diet Eman grew up in a fairly religious family in the Hague and fell in love with the young man, Hein Sietsma, who was staying as a lodger with her family just before the outbreak of war. Diet and Hein were really disturbed by the Nazi persecution of Jews and Dutch citizens who dared resist the occupiers, so much so that they became involved themselves. Diet, who was admittedly a naive, carefree tomboy sort of girl as a teenager, soon found herself becoming harder and more street smart through her involvement in the resistance. She became a tireless runner of deeds across the country, often on foot and bicycle, to help hide and supply Jews and others in the resistance. The book recounts these tales of daring and courage, and she maintains a light-hearted and optimistic tone about the dangerous work that she and her comrades endured.
Even when she and Hein are eventually captured and imprisoned in separate incidents in 1944, she can still see the bright side and humour in some situations, although it is definitely a dark and trying period in her life. She definitely drew on her spiritual side for strength, as she outsmarts the Gestapo and is eventually released after a few months. She spends the rest of the war back in the farming region from which she was headquartered previously, not far from where my mother herself was living as a teenage girl. Diet continued and even increased her resistance efforts as the war drew to its conclusion and the German army clung desperately to its shrinking area of occupation. And all the while she was unsure about the whereabouts of her fiance Hein.
As my mother told me about those days of occupation, although the times were bleak and anxiety-ridden, there were great bonds of community and a sense of something "bigger than oneself" that helped people cope and move through it. I was happy to hear Diet echo this philosophy. Although she went through many bad times and was devastated when she found Hein had died in Dachau, she would not have done anything differently, given the choice. Of course, in real life we are never given the choice to do things over again but must just do our best in the time and circumstances we are given. I am glad that Diet Eman chose to live her life the way she did and decided to tell the world her story, as painful as it was, before she left us.
Those that forget history are always doomed to repeat it.
At first, I was slightly concerned that this was one of those poorly-written war memoirs that excitedly recounts the author's war experiences in a scattershot fashion, rushing to hit the highlights and then haphazardly backfilling important information that wasn't properly organized in the flow originally. At first I also wondered if Diet's biblical and Christian references would start to overwhelm the narrative to the point of evangelism. However, as I got into her story, I realized how genuine and heartfelt she really was. This poor woman lived through a lot in the five years of the Dutch occupation, lost the love of her life, and had to be coaxed by family and friends to tell her story only many years later.
Diet Eman grew up in a fairly religious family in the Hague and fell in love with the young man, Hein Sietsma, who was staying as a lodger with her family just before the outbreak of war. Diet and Hein were really disturbed by the Nazi persecution of Jews and Dutch citizens who dared resist the occupiers, so much so that they became involved themselves. Diet, who was admittedly a naive, carefree tomboy sort of girl as a teenager, soon found herself becoming harder and more street smart through her involvement in the resistance. She became a tireless runner of deeds across the country, often on foot and bicycle, to help hide and supply Jews and others in the resistance. The book recounts these tales of daring and courage, and she maintains a light-hearted and optimistic tone about the dangerous work that she and her comrades endured.
Even when she and Hein are eventually captured and imprisoned in separate incidents in 1944, she can still see the bright side and humour in some situations, although it is definitely a dark and trying period in her life. She definitely drew on her spiritual side for strength, as she outsmarts the Gestapo and is eventually released after a few months. She spends the rest of the war back in the farming region from which she was headquartered previously, not far from where my mother herself was living as a teenage girl. Diet continued and even increased her resistance efforts as the war drew to its conclusion and the German army clung desperately to its shrinking area of occupation. And all the while she was unsure about the whereabouts of her fiance Hein.
As my mother told me about those days of occupation, although the times were bleak and anxiety-ridden, there were great bonds of community and a sense of something "bigger than oneself" that helped people cope and move through it. I was happy to hear Diet echo this philosophy. Although she went through many bad times and was devastated when she found Hein had died in Dachau, she would not have done anything differently, given the choice. Of course, in real life we are never given the choice to do things over again but must just do our best in the time and circumstances we are given. I am glad that Diet Eman chose to live her life the way she did and decided to tell the world her story, as painful as it was, before she left us.
Those that forget history are always doomed to repeat it.
July 16, 2017
The true story of true Christians, and Dutch patriots, Diet Eman and Hein Sietsma, and their courageous risk of everything to resist Nazi tyranny and hide thousands of Dutch Jews.
True Christians always love the Jewish people and Israel, and true nationalists are opposed to both Communism and Nazism, both the antithesis of national self-determination.
Diet recounts her own life, and experiences and what she saw and heard, as well as her deep faith in G-D, that guided her in all she did and thought.
Diet recounts her experiences in Scheveningen prison, where she describes how Jewish families, who were caught in hiding, were hauled into the prison, mothers, fathers and children: 'On the nights the guards brought Jews in, we always heard the children crying all through that place. It was bad enough for us to have to suffer through a place, like Scheveningen, but it was terrible to hear those poor innocent children crying.'
It is up to true Christians and righteous gentiles to stand by the State of Israel today, in the struggle for her survival and that of her children, against the monstrous Islamic-extreme leftist hate machine.
True Christians always love the Jewish people and Israel, and true nationalists are opposed to both Communism and Nazism, both the antithesis of national self-determination.
Diet recounts her own life, and experiences and what she saw and heard, as well as her deep faith in G-D, that guided her in all she did and thought.
Diet recounts her experiences in Scheveningen prison, where she describes how Jewish families, who were caught in hiding, were hauled into the prison, mothers, fathers and children: 'On the nights the guards brought Jews in, we always heard the children crying all through that place. It was bad enough for us to have to suffer through a place, like Scheveningen, but it was terrible to hear those poor innocent children crying.'
It is up to true Christians and righteous gentiles to stand by the State of Israel today, in the struggle for her survival and that of her children, against the monstrous Islamic-extreme leftist hate machine.
April 26, 2012
There are few books I've read that ring more meaningful than this one. I would recommend it to anyone. I happened to read it while courting my wife. My experiences at the time were thrust in start contrast with the life dealt out to Diet Eman who would sacrifice everything, lose the one she loved most, while trying to save every Jewish life that came across her path. But, she didn't do this individually, she was part of a larger underground resistance that leaves one shocked at the brazen courage of these few that risked it all that some might live.
So, there are many books out there that one can read about the Holocaust and World War II, for me this one tops the list. It's deep, it's honest, and impacting beyond all expectations.
So, there are many books out there that one can read about the Holocaust and World War II, for me this one tops the list. It's deep, it's honest, and impacting beyond all expectations.
November 23, 2016
I will never be the same after reading Diet Eman's account of her work in the Dutch Resistance to the Nazis in WW II. If you've read The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, you MUST read Diet's book, too. I could not recommend this more.
October 11, 2012
Heart breaking story about a Dutch resister during WWII. I hadn't read the back of the book, but should have guessed the ending. It made me cry. In the airport. At the boarding gate surrounded by strangers. Through the book you come to know Diet, her family, her friends, and her faith. After doing little things the horrors of what the Nazis are actually doing become clear and she becomes more active in her work, alongside her fiance. They begin transporting and hiding Jews in farms around the country, walking to deliver to them stolen ration cards and provisions. The amount of goodwill and compassion that was shown, and risks that were taken to do so, is inspiring. The faith that she kept, shared, and passed on is only more so. It saddens me that this hero lived less than 2 hours away from me in Michigan, the book was published while I was in high school, and I didn't hear about it until now. I wish whole-heartedly that some teacher, any teacher from my high school would have thought to make us read this and then have her come speak or drive to see her. What an absolutely amazing woman. What a horror her young life must have been. What strength she had for sharing her story. Many thanks to those that helped her through her journey and assisted her in sharing it with me.
March 30, 2018
An autobiography of a young Christian woman who helped hide, relocate, and provide for Dutch Jews during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. She is an amazing example of persevering in suffering, trusting in the goodness of the Lord, and hoping in His promises. The author is our grandma's neighbor at a senior living center in GR. After reading her story, I hope to meet her in person soon!
January 5, 2017
I read a lot of books about WWII but not many set in the Netherlands, which this one is. Diet joins the Resistance in Holland and is remarkably brave in her unfailing efforts to save Jews. Not one day of the occupation goes by that she isn't doing something to assist friends and family and strangers in peril. She shares some great insights into Nazi operations and the personal and emotional toll endured while participating in underground activities. I was surprised to learn that the Nazi's knew many people helped and harbored the Jews but didn't expect to discover them all. She was imprisoned once for smuggling fake ID and ration cards and details how frayed her nerves were by the end of the war... not being able to trust anyone and under constant surveillance by the Gestapo. I am amazed at her bravery and her sense of right and wrong and, despite all the difficulties she faced, she never lost hold on her faith in Christ and His promises to His covenant people. Inspiring read!
January 29, 2018
This is a beautiful Holocaust memoir written by Diet Eman, a Dutch Christian who did resistance work and also spent time in a German prison and concentration camp during World War II. She writes very candidly about her war experiences and is not afraid to share what she accomplished along with her weaknesses, failures, and struggles. Even though she wrote this account later in life, it has an immediacy and freshness that plunges you straight into the era. It is a truthful, at times brutal, and yet encouraging and hopeful recounting of an extremely intense part of her life. The main theme that she returns to over and over is that no matter what she went through, God was with her in it. She definitely struggled in her faith (as anyone would going through such horrific times) but she never gave up on God and could look back on that time with gratitude for the faithfulness and love He showed her throughout it all.
I have read many books about the Holocaust and World War II resistance work and am always deeply moved by the courage and kindness that many showed in such a dark time, but this memoir was especially touching because of Diet's faith in God. She continually points out the hand of God in her and other's lives, uplifting Him throughout. If you sometimes wonder where God was during World War II, read this book and you will clearly see that He had not abdicated His throne.
A few quotes from Diet:
"People sometimes ask, 'Would you like to skip that part of your life?' My answer is 'No,' for I would never have met all the wonderful friends, especially those in prison and the camp, surrounded by evil and cruelty. There no human being could help me. I was totally dependent on God. And God was right there and kept his promises. I could say with David; 'The Lord is my light and my salvation, Whom shall I fear?' and 'For he will hide me in the shelter in the day of trouble' (Psalm 27:1, 5). That is just what he did. My response is, again with David, 'Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits' (Psalm 103:2)."
"When you are a Christian and profess that God is almighty, there is no single area of life from which you can eliminate God."
I have read many books about the Holocaust and World War II resistance work and am always deeply moved by the courage and kindness that many showed in such a dark time, but this memoir was especially touching because of Diet's faith in God. She continually points out the hand of God in her and other's lives, uplifting Him throughout. If you sometimes wonder where God was during World War II, read this book and you will clearly see that He had not abdicated His throne.
A few quotes from Diet:
"People sometimes ask, 'Would you like to skip that part of your life?' My answer is 'No,' for I would never have met all the wonderful friends, especially those in prison and the camp, surrounded by evil and cruelty. There no human being could help me. I was totally dependent on God. And God was right there and kept his promises. I could say with David; 'The Lord is my light and my salvation, Whom shall I fear?' and 'For he will hide me in the shelter in the day of trouble' (Psalm 27:1, 5). That is just what he did. My response is, again with David, 'Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits' (Psalm 103:2)."
"When you are a Christian and profess that God is almighty, there is no single area of life from which you can eliminate God."
June 25, 2011
This is such an amazing book! Diet Eman shares with the readers the story of how she and her fiance participated in the resistance by hiding Jews and performing tasks for the resistance movement. From a historical standpoint, I appreciated that she delves into how these operations worked, the danger of undertaking such work, and the toll it took on those who performed resistance work. You can really learn a lot about underground work from Eman's story. Even the details they must be aware of while performing this kind of work are incredibly fascinating. As a reader, the book kept me enthralled. The stories she tells of the missions and the stories of those she is hiding are filled with suspense, heartbreak, humor, and love. Eman's and her fiance's love for another is so heartwarming and heartbreaking. Their story shows how disastrous war can be. Despite the tragedy and against all odds, Eman's faith in God is powerful and beautiful. It helped me grow in my faith. She is also very wise. Her words and story are incredible. They will stay with me forever. I highly, highly recommend this wonderful book.
May 22, 2014
This book was a page turner, it kept me engrossed from the first page. This is one of those historical books where you almost know what to expect, if you know the history that surrounds the personal story being told. This brave woman Diet Eman, (pronounced deet) who was a Dutch Jew in Holland, started a resistance group with her fiance and others. They hid Jews and got them fake papers, and got involved with a more organized group, and then her fiance got pick up with supplies that included stuff to make i.d.'s and was sent to a prison then a concentration camp, and later she tells of her own story in one of these camps, and talks of the acts of defiance that she committed and got away with, in order to keep some sense of freedom of her own.
She was very brave and worked hard to keep the resistance going. A true inspiration to anyone when they feel hope may be lost.
She was very brave and worked hard to keep the resistance going. A true inspiration to anyone when they feel hope may be lost.
July 13, 2024
This is the true story of Diet Eman, a young Christian woman who joined the Christian resistance movement in the Netherlands during WWII. Together with her fiancé, Hein Sietsma, and many other Dutch men and women, they risked their lives to save the lives of numerous Jews once the Germans occupied their beloved country. Diet and her fellow compatriots tried to stand for what was right in the midst of great evil and danger, doing so by the grace and power of God. Before the war ends, Eman, her fiancé, and several members of their resistance group are arrested and sent to concentration camps. Even in the face of fear and deprivation they remained faithful to the Lord and to their cause. This is a true story of courage and deep, abiding faith that will inspire you. It is a story that I will never forget and am grateful to have read.
April 5, 2009
This is one of my favorite books. I couldn't put it down. Diet Eman was a woman who worked for the Dutch underground during WWII. She relied on Christ in everything she did. There were many times where she could have been put in prision and was somehow saved. It is evident by the circumstances that she encountered that it was by the grace of God that she escaped dangerous situations. She has taught me to be strong in Christ and rely only on Him.
June 29, 2010
Wow. This was one of the best books I've ever read. It brought me to the reality of what it was like to live in a region that experienced Nazi take over during the time preceding and during World War 2. The stories of Eman were inspiring, to hear the reality of people who opened their hearts and home to save innocent Jewish people and to read about their experiences and the consequences they had to pay, and the amazement that they (some) made it through.
October 20, 2009
I know, another WW II survival book. This one puts all the others to shame though. Almost from the beginning you marvel at how Diet (the main character and author) kept her strength and faith through so many years of hardship and fear. It leaves you wondering if people like that still exist, and if they could do the same thing again.
August 31, 2009
Excellent book. I used it with 8th graders during a World War Two unit.
April 8, 2022
I felt as if I was sitting in a room with the author as she retold her harrowing experiences of being a young Dutch woman involved in resistance work, helping hide Jews, during WWII. I found myself staying up late reading trying to discover if she would be reunited with her fiancé, discovered by the Nazis, or betrayed by people she trusted. Her account of the atrocities committed during the time and the toll they took physically, mentally, and spiritually is heart-breaking, however, her testimony and shared emotions provide history and provoke thoughts about human life and the sovereignty of God today.
June 17, 2025
An incredible account of one woman’s role as a WWII resistance fighter in the Netherlands. She wrote this autobiography years after the war, upon realizing that the world needed first-hand records of the horrors of life under Nazi occupation: efforts to hide Jews, arrest and imprisonment in Nazi camp, trial for suspected involvement in resistance efforts, all while burdened by the constant fear for the safety of her family, fiancé, friends and the Jews she helped to save.
Her book includes letters and diary excerpts with honest cries to God for intervention. Her selfless commitment and integrity,along with strong faith and trust in God’s eternal provision for His people, are inspiring.
Her book includes letters and diary excerpts with honest cries to God for intervention. Her selfless commitment and integrity,along with strong faith and trust in God’s eternal provision for His people, are inspiring.
November 7, 2024
***4.5 stars***
Wow. Everyone who lived through the Occupation has a unique stories and accounts. Diet was no exception.
Some parts were slower and more informational, but I loved the letters, pictures, and journal entries. They added something special to the story. It was a very scary and hard time to live through, and this story portrayed that so realistically.
I would recommend this book of resistance in Holland.
Wow. Everyone who lived through the Occupation has a unique stories and accounts. Diet was no exception.
Some parts were slower and more informational, but I loved the letters, pictures, and journal entries. They added something special to the story. It was a very scary and hard time to live through, and this story portrayed that so realistically.
I would recommend this book of resistance in Holland.
September 4, 2014
Well, it's safe to say that I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I decided to borrow this book from my program director in Kenya. I read about half of it before I had to give it back to him so that I didn't take it across the Atlantic Ocean with me. So, I checked it out via inter-library loan in my hometown and realized how long it really had been that I knew what was going on, so I started over.
Reading so deep into the life of someone who is willing to open up to you all the details of her life is truly an amazing experience (maybe writing like that would be too? - hard to say). Diet Eman's willingness to tell us each emotion experienced with each and every situation she found herself in was courageous and heartwarming. Her love for Hein and passion for the safety of her family, friends, country, people, etc., was and is completely inspiring.
This book taught me much about gratitude and perspective and the sheer difficulty of life. Eman never made me feel as if my problems of life aren't valid because I'm not in WWII or that people of all situations don't crash sometimes. I really appreciated her strength and look up to her now and forever. For the sake of not spoiling any of her amazing story, read it for yourself. Know that it will change your life. If it doesn't, I would consider getting out of your head a bit and trying to live into the lives of others a bit more.
Did this book rip me apart? Yes. Did it change my life for the better? I think so. Would I recommend Things We Couldn't Say to everyone? YES.
Reading so deep into the life of someone who is willing to open up to you all the details of her life is truly an amazing experience (maybe writing like that would be too? - hard to say). Diet Eman's willingness to tell us each emotion experienced with each and every situation she found herself in was courageous and heartwarming. Her love for Hein and passion for the safety of her family, friends, country, people, etc., was and is completely inspiring.
This book taught me much about gratitude and perspective and the sheer difficulty of life. Eman never made me feel as if my problems of life aren't valid because I'm not in WWII or that people of all situations don't crash sometimes. I really appreciated her strength and look up to her now and forever. For the sake of not spoiling any of her amazing story, read it for yourself. Know that it will change your life. If it doesn't, I would consider getting out of your head a bit and trying to live into the lives of others a bit more.
Did this book rip me apart? Yes. Did it change my life for the better? I think so. Would I recommend Things We Couldn't Say to everyone? YES.
January 2, 2013
This is a memoir of a young Dutch Christian woman who participated in the resistance movement and worked to hide Jews from the Germans in WWII, giving a nice perspective of how the Dutch were affected by the German invasion. The author had to go into hiding for years during the war when it was suspected that she was in the Resistance. She disguised herself as a maid, did not dare to visit her family, and was separated from her fiance when he was caught, too. She continued her work in hiding Jews and others in the Resistance and was eventually imprisoned in a concentration gap and then put on trial by the Germans. I like these memoirs because you get an inside look into how innovative and daring regular people were during the war. Very good account from a regular person. A few too many passages (entries from her diary) are a little too heavy on the religion for my taste, but respectable since it is a sincere representation of her faith.
February 5, 2017
Wow! Hard to put down and since it's a memoir, you know how it ends which made it both hard to finish and hard to put down. A rare combination...
A WWII memoir about this woman's involvement in the Dutch Resistance. I am enthralled by her bravery which she chalks up to being a good Christian. She has great perception (maybe only in hindsight) about the times and what was going on around her, things they didn't know or realize (how long the war would last) and people's perceptions. She resides in Grand Rapids, Mich. and there are two movies based on her resistance work--The Reckoning (newer) and Making Choices.
Things We Couldn't Say
A WWII memoir about this woman's involvement in the Dutch Resistance. I am enthralled by her bravery which she chalks up to being a good Christian. She has great perception (maybe only in hindsight) about the times and what was going on around her, things they didn't know or realize (how long the war would last) and people's perceptions. She resides in Grand Rapids, Mich. and there are two movies based on her resistance work--The Reckoning (newer) and Making Choices.
Things We Couldn't Say
February 19, 2018
Undoubtedly this book would not be recommended as a vacation read, but I picked it up from my niece's bookshelf while visiting relatives this summer. As other Goodreads reviewers have mentioned, this book is both a page turner and and a critical read for understanding the horrors of the Holocaust and its impact on everyday resisters to the Nazi regime. As a Christian believer, I wanted to explore the convictions of Christian young adults who chose to involve themselves in dangerous work, undertaking extreme risks, enduring prison and loss for the sake of justice and their Jewish countrymen. Inspiring and unforgettable, this book should be considered a supplemental text for any study of WWII and the Holocaust.
June 9, 2013
"Things We Couldn't Say" is the story of Diet Eman and Hein Sietsma (her fiancé); "ordinary" people who risked their lives time and time again to help hide Dutch Jews. This first-hand story of the Resistance showed their courage, the chances they took, the many times that God protected them. Diet walked or biked all over Holland taking false ID & food ration cards. They loved each other deeply and were separated during the war except for a "day now and then." Each were imprisoned by the Nazi's ... Diet lived, Hein didn't. Their sacrifice is hard for us to comprehend today. The "Dutch spirit" and loyalty to their Queen was very impressive.
June 8, 2012
A fresh perspective on the way politics can come between friends and even family and how quickly it become a matter of life or death. This woman had a strong will and courage which when she went full force to help. I met this woman in 1996 when I went on a medical mission trip. After this book, she studies nursing and lived all over the world helping people. The last time I checked, she was still alive and volunteering at a medical clinic in an inner city. She is in her nineties. For her this book is just the beginning of the story.
September 14, 2007
I have always been drawn to the conflict of WWII - perhaps out of a desire to understand humany behavior. How could someone be so evil (Hitler), how could people follow so blindly, how was it for those who opposed the regime and risked everything to help the persecuted. Reading this book made me feel like I was there - with every decision and every risk. I would like to hope I would have as much courage under similar conditions. But I'd also like to never have the opportunity to find out!
June 21, 2011
This is the story of a woman who, with her friends and fiancee, became deeply involved in the Dutch Resistance movement during World War II. It's a powerful story of faith amidst the foulest of circumstances. The one thing that bothered me was that it was as if Schaap had Eman tell her story into a tape recorder, then transcribed it--it wandered a bit and felt like an old person's somewhat disorganized reminiscences. Parts of the book were better than others in that regard.
May 6, 2013
This book is now one of my favorite historical WWII memoirs. Written as an autobiography of her life during World War II as a member of the Christian Dutch resistance, this book is engaging and challenging to read. Diet Eman is open and honest about her struggles to keep her faith strong in God during these harsh times. During one of her stays in prison, the author briefly meets Corrie and Betsy Ten Boom.
March 17, 2014
Other people have compared this to The Hiding Place, but to me it's much more complete, with actual journal entries and photos of things like the ration books. Diet tells her story as though she was sitting in your living room with a cup of strong coffee, reliving her experiences and relationships. It's such that I want to write to her and thank her...my friend Denise says she's still going strong in Michigan, helping and volunteering her time. Amazing.
July 2, 2012
This book is uplifting, heart-wrenching, insightful, and unbelievably amazing. I loved every part of the book and praise Diet Eman for her courage both with what she did in the resistance and for being able to write her story down. A wonderful view of life during WWII and how hard those outside of the military also fought. A book I read again and again.
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