This was a disappointing read. I was hoping to read more about Audrey Hepburn's life during WWII whereas this felt more like a history book. .

Don't get me wrong, I love history books, but I like to choose them for myself. I was expecting more of a biography.

Dutch Girl documents the life of Audrey Hepburn during her years in the Netherlands which includes the torrent episodes of World War 2. At times the book comes across as a history book about the Netherlands and WWII and the story of a would be actress who would steal the hearts of the world in her adulthood.

The novel does not really go into her films or life after she had become a star. It does however document an important part of world history and the part she played in these events and her family, mainly her mother’s role with Nazi’s and the change of attitude once the Germans invade the Netherlands. It is a very interesting novel and I was captivated by the way Matzen is able to weave the two stories together. The story of the Netherlands is more interesting and tends to overshadow the story of Hepburn.

The novel can be described as a thinly disguised book selling on the life of a movie star but delivering a historical account of Germany and Netherlands. I personally found it to be about a family and their involvement during the War and it gave the war a personal face through their experiences. This is where the novel does amazingly well.

There will be a bit of disappointment who are expecting a straightforward biography. This will probably be the thorn in the books side because this is more a book about the war and a girl who will grow to be one of the most iconic film stars of her generation. This is really an extraordinary book that if it was dressed up as a WW2 book, I probably would have bypassed it on the shelves but as it was a biography, it kept me interested and engrossed in the history. I learned about an awkward girl and her family during a terrible time in history, I was able to empathise with life during this time period.

My hats are off to Matzen and it is pure ingenious on how he was able to give me a history lesson disguised as a biography of a film star and show me the human story behind historical events. This is a winner and one of the hardest reviews to write. Highly recommended.

Straightforward focus on particular aspect of this really fascinating woman's life, more complex and international than maybe people think .. her background surely influenced not only her life choices, but the grit we feel in her performances ..not only for fans! For anyone wanting a different angle on how women specifically survive and achieve ..

I found this book interesting both as a childhood biography of Audrey Hepburn, giving some context to her later life as a UNICEF ambassador for children, and as a history of the Netherlands in World War Two. The author had obviously done a lot of research to unearth some of the stories deliberately hidden from previous biographers, such as Audrey's mother's early Nazi sympathies. There was also a great deal of detail about one of the most famous episodes in World War Two military history (Operation Market Garden) and about the experiences of ordinary people under Nazi occupation. I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in the history of World War Two in Europe, especially the civilian experience, as well as fans of Audrey Hepburn.

I gave this book a 4 out of 5 star review. It was an enjoyable and I would recommend. to others. Generously provided to me through NetGalley

I previously read Robert Matzen's book about Jimmy Stewart and was looking forward to this one about Audrey Hepburn. I felt however that she was rather incidental to the story. The main focus of the book seemed to be "what happened to Holland in WW2". As with the other book there was a lot of detail about armaments, battle lines, etc but perhaps this is easier to find than personal information, especially about someone so private about her early life. The book was still interesting though as I hadn't realised how much Holland suffered, how many were killed or used as slaves by the Nazis, or simply starved to death. Provided that you don't expect too much detail about Audrey, this is well worth reading.

This book has both nothing and everything to do with Audrey Hepburn. The story is largely about the Nazi occupation in the Netherlands and all of the famine and violence that it brought. There is so much to Audrey's demeanor that was never understood during her lifetime and this book sheds light on the trauma and devastation that she faced with her family. There were some shocking moments to the book but I don't wish to provide spoilers.

If you aren't "into" war books, as I was, this book may at times feel daunting - but Matzen is really pushing a realistic look of The Netherlands at war. I pushed through those particular sections and feel like stories like these shed light on the darkest days of our humanity, and how we can transcend them.

Definitely an autobiography rather than a novel. I was fascinated to read about the life, especially early years of Audrey Hepburn, who I admire as an actress. Lots of detail here but it is rather long winded and can be a dull read at times. Cut it back by a third and have it written less like a history text book in places and it will be more suitable for sale to the masses.

Audrey Hepburns childhood autobiography- it’s a part of her life which is not talked about. Reading this it shows just what a rough / tough childhood she actually had. It describes what she went through.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Goodknight Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

An autobiography of Audrey Hepburn. Most people knew her as the star of many famous films but behind that facade was a girl who lived a troubled and tragic childhood that she kept hidden. This is an account of her life approved by her son.