The Time Between: Love, loyalty and betrayal in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam

by Bryna Hellmann-Gillson

This historical novel depicts three young Jewish women, Pam, Jo and Hannah, and their family and friends during the physically, psychologically and morally difficult years of the German occupation, 1940-1945. They print illegal newspapers and false documents, hide Jewish children, commit sabotage and murder.

Their lives come together through Adrian, a young man risking his life in the resistance. He is Pam’s brother, Jo’s first infatuation and Hannah’s lover. “Isn’t this the between time?” he asks. “One day real life stopped, when the Germans came, and some day real life will start again.” For some of them, it did.

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Fiction

367 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 29, 2018

Reviews

[MelMon Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a painful journey to read and I couldn't ever imagine living it. I found myself drawn to every turn of the page. I felt the tightening of my chest at every loss, every time they were forced to hide, to run.

The writter did justice to bringing the story to readers everywhere. The detail that went into the writing is sure to leave the reader tormented , yet never as much as the masses that were forced to live the truth of this nightmare. It was hellish and the history of it will never be erased from history. There will always be unanswered questions and the amount of loss will never be washed away. Beautiful writimg for the disaster and devastation that was

[Michael Bully · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written and thoughtful novel tackling Jewish life during Occupied Netherlands. A whole cluster of lead characters so I admit that I got lost at times concerning who was who. The novel managed to capture the sense of unreality many people must have felt ; The Netherlands had managed to avoid European war for generations , so the shock of finding themselves invaded and the trauma of invasion hit hard. ( An obvious contrast to Belgium who got dragged into World War 1).
A number of key characters have Jewish backgrounds and connections with Germany . Of course one advantage many lead characters is that there is a room to present a spectrum of experiences. The author seemed very keen to avoid stereotypes. Neither does she idealise resistance fighters or demonise every German. Even the characters who are capable of heroic acts are flawed. Moreover, people are shown as not really being born resistance fighters of traitors, but drifting in the upheaval of invasion. The day to day monotony of hardship is portrayed as well.
The key events of the Occupation emerge , such as the shock of invasion, the occupation, the deterioration of the lives of Jews, the Amsterdam strikes, the 1944 strikes and the Hungerwinter of 1944-5.
The work of Jewish doctor Suskind, on the surface a collaborator with the Nazi authorities, who quietly managed to let many Jewish children slip away from his custody to go underground, is woven into the plot of the novel.
Overall, this novel is thoughtful and rewarding . Anyone interested in Occupied Netherlands should get something from it.

[Debbie Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale of bravery

This book is a well written novel set in Nazi occupied Amsterdam. Most of the characters are young and it interesting to see how they grow into adults during these years of occupation doing things they could never have imagined themselves doing. The book painted a picture of ordinary people surviving horror, starvation and loss. I don’t think you can say you enjoyed a book like this about events covered in the book, more you learnt from it. Learnt about bravery and sacrifice and people working together to survive. Wondered if you would be able to survive such horrors but couldn’t actually think you could. We have become pampered and soft, enough to eat, drink warm homes and clothes, could we survive depravation such as that suffered in the world wars, could we be that brave. That’s what books like this do, they make you think!

[Ray Bepko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compelling Historical Fiction Told by Girls and Women Who Lived It

I'm interested in historical fiction that focuses on the experiences of ordinary people. I knew relatively little about Dutch history during WW II so this drew me. I enjoyed reading it and the stories were quite compelling. It could've been better edited to keep the storyline clear but it really showed the experience of the Dutch people, women and girls in particular. Definitely worth reading and easy to read. The author herself has a very interesting story.

[Liesbeth Heenk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent portrayal of life in Amsterdam during the occupation. Easy to read Young adult novel with three Jewish protagonists whose lives change dramatically because of the war.

[Tandi Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

Riveting and touching, you will not be able to put this one down! I learned a lot about the strength of the Dutch during the Nazi occupation. Well researched.

[Roger Swindells · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author expertly captures life and the struggle to survive in Amsterdam between 1940 and 1945, cleverly and knowledgeably portraying the resident's daily existence under the Nazi occupation with particular reference to the Jewish community. I liked the book, it's portrayal of the city, its streets and bars and the lives of the many different individuals however I struggled with it as there were simply too many characters. I lost track of who was who, who lived with who, who was hiding who and who was related to who not to mention those engaged in resistance activities. The plethora of first names meant I had to constantly refer back to the earlier mentions of an individual to follow the story. The only character I was clear on was the girl who associated with the German officer all the others I'm afraid tended to run into one. Never the less I recommend the book to those like me with an interest in the city of Amsterdam, the occupation of the Netherlands in WW2, and the existence of those caught up in it