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Behind the Fireplace: Memoirs of a Girl Working in the Dutch Resistance
As World War 2 progressed, the Okma family took six Jewish refugees into their house, hiding them in a secret room behind their fireplace. The youngest daughter, Kieks, joined the Resistance, delivering illegal newspapers, guiding British parachutists around The Hague and preparing safe houses for Special Forces who were dropped in from England. As the War continued, she fell in love with a Resistance commander, and worked with him to rescue wounded colleagues, steal weapons from German arms dumps and move weapons around the country. They had a tumultuous parting and she continued her work, acting as a courier with a two hundred km bike ride to the north of Holland. When she returned home, she appreciated how much the war had changed her and her boyfriend, and prepared to try a reconciliation.
She escaped a firing squad four times, and survived the war, mentally scarred by her experiences. She sought help, but the help she was offered came in a poisoned chalice, and she kept her secret to herself for almost fifty years.
Her family in Holland was recognized by Yad Vashem, the Israeli organization that records those who saved Jews from the Holocaust, and she was awarded a pension for her work in the Resistance by the Dutch foundation Stichting 1940-1945. It was only when these organizations acknowledged the truth of her claims that she had the confidence to tell her family of the events from long ago.
RUNNING TIME ⇒ 5hrs. and 8mins.
©1992 Andrew Scott and Grietje Scott (P)2020 Tantor
She escaped a firing squad four times, and survived the war, mentally scarred by her experiences. She sought help, but the help she was offered came in a poisoned chalice, and she kept her secret to herself for almost fifty years.
Her family in Holland was recognized by Yad Vashem, the Israeli organization that records those who saved Jews from the Holocaust, and she was awarded a pension for her work in the Resistance by the Dutch foundation Stichting 1940-1945. It was only when these organizations acknowledged the truth of her claims that she had the confidence to tell her family of the events from long ago.
RUNNING TIME ⇒ 5hrs. and 8mins.
©1992 Andrew Scott and Grietje Scott (P)2020 Tantor
6 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 24, 2016
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Andrew Scott
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 1, 2018
A searingly honest account of the life of a young woman caught up in the Dutch resistance. Very well written and a must to those interested in WW2 history.
August 23, 2016
Behind the Fireplace: Memoirs of a Girl Working in the Dutch Resistance is by Andrew Scott. It is a biography of his mother and her actions during World War II in Holland.
Grietje Okma was born in Leeuwarden in Friesland in the northern part of Holland in January, 1922. She was nicknamed Kieks. She was the youngest of eight children. She had a relatively normal childhood with her loving family. Her older brother Willem and older sister Martha loved to travel and visited Germany before the war. On their last visit, they began seeing the treatment of people under the Nazi regime and never visited there again. What they saw led them to increase their helping others and when the Nazis took over Holland led them and their family to helping Jews when they could. This book tells of their actions in hiding several Jews in their home and how they managed to keep them safe. Kieks later becomes a member of the resistance and has some hair-raising adventures. After she married and had children, she didn’t talk about her life in Nazi held Holland because a psychologist she went to believed she was lying and threatened to take her children away because she was an unfit mother. It wasn’t until much later in her life that she finally told her children her story and Andrew had a hard time getting her to do that.
The book is very good and gives more details on how difficult it was to hide someone during this time in Holland. The bravery of her family was finally recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Gentiles.
Grietje Okma was born in Leeuwarden in Friesland in the northern part of Holland in January, 1922. She was nicknamed Kieks. She was the youngest of eight children. She had a relatively normal childhood with her loving family. Her older brother Willem and older sister Martha loved to travel and visited Germany before the war. On their last visit, they began seeing the treatment of people under the Nazi regime and never visited there again. What they saw led them to increase their helping others and when the Nazis took over Holland led them and their family to helping Jews when they could. This book tells of their actions in hiding several Jews in their home and how they managed to keep them safe. Kieks later becomes a member of the resistance and has some hair-raising adventures. After she married and had children, she didn’t talk about her life in Nazi held Holland because a psychologist she went to believed she was lying and threatened to take her children away because she was an unfit mother. It wasn’t until much later in her life that she finally told her children her story and Andrew had a hard time getting her to do that.
The book is very good and gives more details on how difficult it was to hide someone during this time in Holland. The bravery of her family was finally recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Gentiles.
January 22, 2018
Most readers are familiar, at least at a minimal level, of The Diary Of Anne Frank. Some of us are familiar with a bit more, with the brave figure that the then teenager - around the same age, and living not too far away - Audrey Hepburn was, in playing her part in the Dutch resistance, and going through horrors personally, despite her family's aristocratic background that made it a voluntary and thereby that much braver an act.
This work fits with those somewhere, in that it's the story of a young girl a few years older than Anne Frank and Audrey Hepburn, living in vicinity of the two - it being after all a small country - and working in resistance, in addition to her family hiding a number of Jews and one resistance member in their home, a highly non trivial act of courage and more, and much, much more. This family was not wealthy as such, had over seven members if thrir own, and at the height of it all sheltered almost as many, hiding them for life and endangering their own. In addition Grietje - called Kieks - aldo delivered nesseges and did much, much more.
As dangerous and as personally sacrificing as it all was, and as traumatic the horrors that she went through, post war years were not a picnic, what with her trauma finding not a whit of sympathy or even recognition in her new homeland, Britain, when she had married a Brit and was living in Scotland with him and her four children. The psychiatrist whom the husband took her to for help, in fact, decided she was lying and threatened to take her children away, declaring her an unfit mother, if she did not stop insisting her stories of the war years were true. This had a long time devastating effect, of her being forced to shut up, being seen as a liar, and finally breaking up her marriage.
Fortunately her son began to have a clue at some point, and too, authorities in her own country back home recognised her and her family's work in resistance - and most importantly, Israel honoured them. Her son collected and worked through her memories related over time, and managed to write it all into a coherent story after painstakingly working out the timelines.
One feels the trauma and horror of it all, but more than it all, at the end one feels fortunate in that one could read this and know such brave souls, however much at a distance of time and space.
June 27, 2018
The Story of a Courageous Woman in the Dutch Resistance in a Perspective Rarely Glimpsed
As a devotee of bottom-up history, especially that of WW2, Behind the Fireplace is an intriguingly fresh perspective of the brave resistance workers, with peeks into the view from the perspective of those they rescued. It could be compared to reading the account of those who hid Anne Frank and her family, and reflects a fresh voice added to the account of Corrie ten Boom's The Hiding Place. Every survivor's story is unique, and I never tire of them. The post-war grief, confusion, pride and shame are quite shocking in how true they ring in this time of a greater recognition of post-traumatic stress. Kiek's nightmares could be descriptions of my own husband's after flying helicopters into enemy fire to rescue ambushed soldiers in Vietnam. The fact that we as a culture have looked squarely at PTSD in modern soldiers, and remember it being called "shell shock" after WWI, to look at it here as it affects a woman of WWII is a unique perspective, one long overdue.
As a devotee of bottom-up history, especially that of WW2, Behind the Fireplace is an intriguingly fresh perspective of the brave resistance workers, with peeks into the view from the perspective of those they rescued. It could be compared to reading the account of those who hid Anne Frank and her family, and reflects a fresh voice added to the account of Corrie ten Boom's The Hiding Place. Every survivor's story is unique, and I never tire of them. The post-war grief, confusion, pride and shame are quite shocking in how true they ring in this time of a greater recognition of post-traumatic stress. Kiek's nightmares could be descriptions of my own husband's after flying helicopters into enemy fire to rescue ambushed soldiers in Vietnam. The fact that we as a culture have looked squarely at PTSD in modern soldiers, and remember it being called "shell shock" after WWI, to look at it here as it affects a woman of WWII is a unique perspective, one long overdue.
June 6, 2021
The Okma family, of which this book focuses, were quite amazing: their patience, fortitude, kindness and courage. Kieks Okma, a young lady during the war years, told her story late in life.
Early on, in this story, were are told that Kieks, in her later years, spoke of her dislike towards the Germans (understandably) and the Jews and the Dutch (that jarred me a little - why would you risk your life for those you dislike.
By then end of her story, I fully understood and agreed with her feeling.
I remain shocked by how ungrateful people can be and would hasten to say that those who did, both during and after the war, question those within the Okma family need to spend a long, long time in a cold, dark room and think gravely about themselves.
There are no excuses for their behaviour: it was war and people were dying, horribly. The Okma family understood that and did something positive.
I am so glad I read this. Not everyone in that theatre was deserving of the kindness shown them.
This lady, Grietje (Kieks) Okma Scott - AND HER FAMILY - are true heroes of that awful time.
Early on, in this story, were are told that Kieks, in her later years, spoke of her dislike towards the Germans (understandably) and the Jews and the Dutch (that jarred me a little - why would you risk your life for those you dislike.
By then end of her story, I fully understood and agreed with her feeling.
I remain shocked by how ungrateful people can be and would hasten to say that those who did, both during and after the war, question those within the Okma family need to spend a long, long time in a cold, dark room and think gravely about themselves.
There are no excuses for their behaviour: it was war and people were dying, horribly. The Okma family understood that and did something positive.
I am so glad I read this. Not everyone in that theatre was deserving of the kindness shown them.
This lady, Grietje (Kieks) Okma Scott - AND HER FAMILY - are true heroes of that awful time.
July 24, 2024
A good book that tells us about the growth of a young Dutch woman during the Second World War. With his family, he welcomed persecuted Jews and participated in the Resistance fight against the Nazi occupier.
A different book, we generally do not find works covering occupation and resistance in small European countries, and even less the activity of women in resistance. Note that we noticed that in addition to the activity of transporting messages, food, surveillance and acting in scams, women also cleaned, tidied and prepared food in the rear houses or hiding places.
Another interesting factor is to give us an insight into the difficulties that families went through when welcoming persecuted Jews, and this part can be read in parallel with Anne Frank's Diary, allowing us to understand this period
A different book, we generally do not find works covering occupation and resistance in small European countries, and even less the activity of women in resistance. Note that we noticed that in addition to the activity of transporting messages, food, surveillance and acting in scams, women also cleaned, tidied and prepared food in the rear houses or hiding places.
Another interesting factor is to give us an insight into the difficulties that families went through when welcoming persecuted Jews, and this part can be read in parallel with Anne Frank's Diary, allowing us to understand this period
November 29, 2023
3.5 this was my first kindle book lol (it feels like i’m cheating on my books 🥺 but the convenience factor of having books on your phone is a 10 out of 10) onto the actual review, it was okay… the writing was mundane and read like a really long ap history essay but that doesn’t discount the facts - kieks’ was a badass! this family history shared a really interesting war pov. all kieks did for the resistance movement in holland was so courageous but everything she suffered through because of and after it was heartbreaking. i am really glad that the author (kieks’ son) got to know his mom’s story and shared that story with the world though because it’s such an amazing one to highlight in respect to dutch experience during wwii
February 16, 2017
The true story of a selfless heroine
What an amazingly strong and incredibly brave woman! Reading this harrowing account was truly an eye-opening and heartwrenching experience for me, as I had never read any thing detailing WW2 and the holocaust from a non-jewish perspective until now. I honestly feel honored to have gotten to know Kieks through reading this book; her powerfully inspiring life is one that will never ever forget. My words cannot do enough justice in this review, but I have no doubt that all who read this will be just as touched by Kieks' journey as I have been.
What an amazingly strong and incredibly brave woman! Reading this harrowing account was truly an eye-opening and heartwrenching experience for me, as I had never read any thing detailing WW2 and the holocaust from a non-jewish perspective until now. I honestly feel honored to have gotten to know Kieks through reading this book; her powerfully inspiring life is one that will never ever forget. My words cannot do enough justice in this review, but I have no doubt that all who read this will be just as touched by Kieks' journey as I have been.
March 7, 2019
A remarkable narrative
In reading this I felt the narrative was not embellished or stretched, but told plainly and decently. I highly respect this woman, her story and her will. If only someone would have listened with compassion instead of education when she told her story... the psychiatrist and pastor both need to be whipped, such a sad testimony to academic ignorance. I’m thankful the story is out where we can read it. This is an excellent read in both literary sense and historical sense, I highly recommend it.
In reading this I felt the narrative was not embellished or stretched, but told plainly and decently. I highly respect this woman, her story and her will. If only someone would have listened with compassion instead of education when she told her story... the psychiatrist and pastor both need to be whipped, such a sad testimony to academic ignorance. I’m thankful the story is out where we can read it. This is an excellent read in both literary sense and historical sense, I highly recommend it.
April 14, 2019
A girl in resistance
Kicks came of age during the time before and during the war. Her Dutch family hid several Jewish people in their home from the Nazi's. Kicks became involved in the resistance movement and put herself in danger many times. This is her story. The story of a courageous lady, her family and those who served in the resistance with her.
Kicks came of age during the time before and during the war. Her Dutch family hid several Jewish people in their home from the Nazi's. Kicks became involved in the resistance movement and put herself in danger many times. This is her story. The story of a courageous lady, her family and those who served in the resistance with her.
June 21, 2022
Very good read
Very good book im so glad that keiks got the recognition she deserved its really sad to hear that the psychiatrist tried to imply it was her imagination that must have been very hard to live with im really happy that her truth finally came out and she had a chance to lay her demons to rest
Very good book im so glad that keiks got the recognition she deserved its really sad to hear that the psychiatrist tried to imply it was her imagination that must have been very hard to live with im really happy that her truth finally came out and she had a chance to lay her demons to rest
September 11, 2022
Very Interesting book showing both sides of people living the attics & the families in the house protecting these people in the attics. Shows the struggles the homeowners went through to feed & protect these people, sometimes the people being protected were ungrateful. The other part was of
the homeowners being involved in the Dutch Resistance etc.
the homeowners being involved in the Dutch Resistance etc.
May 13, 2024
A brave young woman’s story
This is an important story.. I’m glad Kieks was able to tell it, even if it was very late in her life (thanks to her son). Such a dangerous thing to do, to hide families in one’s home. Plus all the other resistance missions she was doing as well. I have such admiration for this lady!
This is an important story.. I’m glad Kieks was able to tell it, even if it was very late in her life (thanks to her son). Such a dangerous thing to do, to hide families in one’s home. Plus all the other resistance missions she was doing as well. I have such admiration for this lady!
December 13, 2017
I have to be honest, the writing is not that great. But the story is interesting. I appreciated how it touched on the stress of hiding people during wwii and the post traumatic stress for people who lived through that time. So for the sake of the story, I give four stars.
July 30, 2020
A wonderful very well written true story.
After all she did and did, to be treated the way she was by the 'modern' world.
I enjoyed this book very much, at times I almost felt I was there!
I thoroughly recommend this book.
After all she did and did, to be treated the way she was by the 'modern' world.
I enjoyed this book very much, at times I almost felt I was there!
I thoroughly recommend this book.
February 21, 2021
Good description of life in Holland during the Nazi occupation
This is an excellent description of life under the Nazi occupation in Holland while hiding Jews and functioning as a member of the resistance
This is an excellent description of life under the Nazi occupation in Holland while hiding Jews and functioning as a member of the resistance
January 23, 2017
An enlightening account
I chose this book because of of my interest inww2 history. I just didn't realize how much post traumatic syndrome experienced by so many people.
I chose this book because of of my interest inww2 history. I just didn't realize how much post traumatic syndrome experienced by so many people.
September 15, 2017
Personally, I found it "tedious" reading. Sorry.
November 27, 2017
Amazing book
This story is truly amazing,reading about all the hard times the family had to go through and how they were able to overcome all the hard times is truly amazing.
This story is truly amazing,reading about all the hard times the family had to go through and how they were able to overcome all the hard times is truly amazing.
March 5, 2019
Good read about a bit of history which doesn't seem to be well covered,
June 5, 2020
Kieks
The girl in the Dutch resistance. One of twenty survive in a premeditated Nazi slaughter. Unbelievable courage. Nail biting excitement.
The girl in the Dutch resistance. One of twenty survive in a premeditated Nazi slaughter. Unbelievable courage. Nail biting excitement.
May 4, 2017
I wavered between admiring a family providing refuge to those wanted by the Nazis and irritation with the sometimes disjointed narrative.
The positive is the importance of remembering and understanding the terror created by the German march across Europe and mission of creating an Aryan master race and the bravery and commitment of the Dutch Resistance. We're reminded of the impact one person or a small group can have against the forces of evil.
This story could be richly enhance with focused organization and editing. I believe it would have worked better as historic fiction than as a memoir since the facts come from aged and emotional memories.
The positive is the importance of remembering and understanding the terror created by the German march across Europe and mission of creating an Aryan master race and the bravery and commitment of the Dutch Resistance. We're reminded of the impact one person or a small group can have against the forces of evil.
This story could be richly enhance with focused organization and editing. I believe it would have worked better as historic fiction than as a memoir since the facts come from aged and emotional memories.
April 7, 2017
An interesting perspective
Not the best and easiest to read writing style, but an absolutely fascinating view of what happened during the war years in Holland. And, perhaps an object lesson on how we treat women heroes.
Not the best and easiest to read writing style, but an absolutely fascinating view of what happened during the war years in Holland. And, perhaps an object lesson on how we treat women heroes.
March 5, 2017
A great history lesson.
Lest we forget! War is deplorable but mankind has been killing its own since the beginning of time. Will it ever stop?
Lest we forget! War is deplorable but mankind has been killing its own since the beginning of time. Will it ever stop?
March 3, 2017
Wish I could have met her
Such a brave family. To sacrifice so much only to be told you're a liar is an injustice in itself.
Such a brave family. To sacrifice so much only to be told you're a liar is an injustice in itself.
February 22, 2017
After the end I cried. I hate to think that the heroine felt so abandoned and forgotten. She was strong, determined, and so very brave. I can't even begin to say enough to let you know, you have to read this book!
August 29, 2016
Rating 3.5. Because this book relies heavily on memory, it shares many of the problems I had with The Luck of the Jews. The big difference here is that there were many people who could and did verify the information and thus validated it, not least were the people hidden by the family for 3 years and the head of her resistance unit. Although a very interesting account, it suffers from some confusion and disjointed areas. I suspect much of that was because Kieks was so reluctant to relive it all.
August 3, 2016
Interesting but unpolished
The info Scott relates about his mother's life and activities in the Dutch Resistance is interesting and important. Nonetheless, the book itself is not professionally edited or published and thus is lacking in terms of clarity and structure in many instances. It's really an account that is more appropriate for family records than for a general audience.
The info Scott relates about his mother's life and activities in the Dutch Resistance is interesting and important. Nonetheless, the book itself is not professionally edited or published and thus is lacking in terms of clarity and structure in many instances. It's really an account that is more appropriate for family records than for a general audience.
September 28, 2016
You really feel it, this struggle of Kieks. This unfortunate time in her life, in the life of mankind. This angle is so strong and clear. I know it's true because of actions of others around her. It's as if her descriptions are ones I have lived through.
I would recommend this story to anyone, to all, especially to teen and young adults. I wish she had written more about her mother who raised such wonderful children.
I would recommend this story to anyone, to all, especially to teen and young adults. I wish she had written more about her mother who raised such wonderful children.
March 6, 2016
My thoughts
I found a different side of the war and the chances some of the
People took in order to help fight. The German Gestapo.i.e.
The book was very interesting . I learned more about a different
Country
,s involvement in WWII. I did find it sometimes confusing.
I found a different side of the war and the chances some of the
People took in order to help fight. The German Gestapo.i.e.
The book was very interesting . I learned more about a different
Country
,s involvement in WWII. I did find it sometimes confusing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews