Life in the Shadow of the Swastika

by Frieda E. Roos-van Hessen

Book Overview

This powerful true story of Frieda E. Roos-van Hessen, a Jewish concert and opera singer, who along with her friend, survived one close call after another during the Nazi occupation of Holland as... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 0974134589
• ISBN13: 9780974134581
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Harvest Day Books
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A must hear story

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (1/07) "Life in the Shadow of the Swastika" begins with a letter written in 1949 to Felicia, Frieda E. Roos-van Hessen. Frieda shares with her daughter what life was like during the Holocaust. "Before the war, the atmosphere in our home was that of music, and art and family." Frieda refers to herself as "daddy's little girl." Her father was "a businessman and captain of the corps of Engineers with the Dutch Army Reserve." Her life was pleasant with visits to the zoo and "presents from Sinterklass." Frieda went to school, learned to knit, crochet and embroider. Childhood was a time of laughter and joy. That ended when the nightmare began. It was on a field trip to the mountains of Germany anti-Semitism first touched her life. The experience left her and her friends dumbfounded. That was only the beginning. Frieda's life took a drastic turn. Her family was in danger. A law was passed not allowing Gentiles to serve Jews. "Life in the Shadow of the Swastika" by Frieda E. Roos-van Hessen is a tribute to the brave people that risked their lives to help the Jewish people in Holland. The story of the Holocaust should never be forgotten. Ms. Hessen is a courageous woman and an excellent writer. Her life is one to be celebrated. She is a beautiful woman physically as attested to by the photo on the back cover. She is a beautiful person inside as demonstrated to by the story she tells. The cover of this book speaks a thousand words, with a picture of the author at as a teen and the Star of David imposed on the shadow of a swastika. The story flows smoothly and is easy to focus on. The trying times come to life on the pages. I highly recommend this book to everyone, for this is a story that all generation must hear.