If you have ever admired Audrey Hepburn or her movies or just know who she was you will be easily engaged by this book. Until I read Last Hope Island by Lynne Olson I never knew that Audrey Hepburn was a teenager in the German occupied Netherlands during WWII. She mentioned Audrey in her book as one of the peripheral characters that she uses so well to draw in her readers and it made me wonder what her life was like during that time. Robert Matzen has done a nice job of filling in much if not all of her story.
Audrey Hepburn was born to an Englishman and an upper class Dutch woman. Her parents were also Nazi sympathizers, a position her father never gave up and her mother only well after the invasion of her homeland. This personal history made Audrey fairly reticent about many details of her life and through determined research and help from many Dutch survivors he has pieced together much of Audrey's childhood and adolescence. Born in 1929, Audrey was 11 when the Netherlands were invaded. She lived in Arnheim, close to the German border, and although the entire war was difficult the final year from the Market Garden invasion in September 1944 to the end in April 1945 was particularly brutal. Perhaps the author's main theme is that Audrey's experiences in WWII not only never left her but formed her into the person she would become.
This is the story of Audrey Hepburn but it is also a history of what was happening as she was growing up so there are asides in which the history overtakes the story of Audrey's life. It appears to be well documented (the endnotes are extensive as they explain where the author got his information). If you are interested in WWII history and know about Audrey Hepburn you will enjoy this book.

Although a huge old movie fan, I've always been a bit lukewarm on Audrey Hepburn - mainly because she is still so prominent. But after reading Barry Paris' biography, I became interested in her wartime experiences. Robert Matzen has written two other books on the World War II histories of Hollywood stars Carole Lombard (who worked tirelessly to support US troops before her death in a plane crash in 1942), and James Stewart (who was a Brigadier General in the US Air Force reserve.) But as a European, and a young girl at the time, Audrey's story is quite different to theirs. Her parents were both Nazi sympathisers; her British father was jailed for treason, while her socialite mother Ella took Audrey back to her native Holland at the start of the war, believing that the Dutch would be spared. This was, of course, a grave mistake, and Ella's beliefs would subsequently undergo a radical transformation. Stuck in the village of Velp where many high-ranking Nazis were based, Audrey's family and neighbours endured attacks from all sides and near starvation. Her uncle, a leading lawyer, was executed as a warning to would-be rebels. But Audrey, Ella and the other villagers became active in the Dutch resistance, led by a doctor at the local hospital. As a teenager, Audrey was often sent to deliver urgent messages to allied forces, and her family briefly harboured a British soldier - all at their own risk. In later life, Audrey was guarded in talking about her experiences but it would ultimately inspire her outstanding humanitarian work. Matzen brings her story powerfully to life, and while her later film career remains in the background, he dramatically reconstructs those days of fear and combat from a civilian's perspective.

One of the best biographies I've read in a long time. This beautifully researched and written book chronicles the early life of actress/dancer Audrey Hepburn in the Netherlands in World War II. Though she spent some of her early years in England, she returned to Velp and Arnhem in the Netherlands right before the German occupation. Towards the end of the war, Audrey and three relatives took refuge in the cellar as one of the last major battles of the war raged right above them.

"Dutch Girl," in one sense, is a tale of one small Dutch town's experiences during the Nazi occupation. Historians and those who enjoy historical case studies will find this book riveting. The fact that the "main character" of the book turns out to be an A-list Hollywood actress is almost an aside. Nevertheless, the book insightfully shows how war affects children and young people for the rest of their lives - emotionally, psychologically, and physically.

While this book give in depth details of Audrey Hepburn during World War 2 it also tells of the Netherlands during the invasion of the Germans and Nazi Rule. Interesting to read how Audrey was influenced by the war. Well researched and documented about a sad part of history.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.

Dutch Girl Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen

A treasure for historians, this is more a book about the Netherlands during WWII than it is of Audrey Hepburn. Doggedly researched, this book is a very detailed history lesson. Names, places, and even addresses blur as the author relates one event after another. The account of Audrey’s rise to fame as an actress is a very small part of this book. We only read a brief section of her post-war life in the last ten percent or so of the story.

As the author explains, the German invasion of the Netherlands disrupted the well organized, happy life the Dutch knew. Audrey’s mother Ella was initially sympathetic to the Nazis, and found Adolph Hitler especially charming in the early 1940s. That changed over time, but the truth of her politics followed her the rest of her life.

Most dramatic for the Dutch was the lack of food, and overcrowding as nearby towns evacuated to Velp, Audrey’s village. Malnutrition was the norm and they were always cold. All suffered coal shortages, along with the lack of blankets, clothing and anything else of value because the Germans took all available food and supplies. They also imposed strict curfews. Many citizens, including Audrey’s Uncle Otto, disappeared to be shot or died of starvation.

Machine guns and bombs from overhead required the family to stay indoors for very lengthy periods of time. The author knows every shot and shell blasted, bomb dropped and the times of day the barrage took place. He recounts nearly every battle fought near Velp. His research is mind boggling.

Little Audrey (Adriaantje) had a disjointed childhood living in one place and then another with one relative or another. Her mom, Ella, had a flair for drama and her father was rarely seen. Audrey’s Aunt Meisje was more a mother to her. She played and cuddled with Audrey, while Ella was the rule enforcer who very rarely showed her children affection. Ella did, however, see that Audrey received ballet lessons throughout the good and the bad times, as ballet was Audrey’s true passion. It eventually transported her to a life she couldn’t have imagined during the war.

But no matter how awful, Audrey recalls some good times from the war, mostly her dance which she loved, and the stories everyone told at night in the dark to keep themselves entertained. Throughout her life, Audrey looked for the good in any situation, but as an adult, she refused to divulge any stories of her experiences during the war.

Wow, I really didnt realise how interesting the WW2 / Audrey Hepburn combo would be when I first picked up this book. I'm pretty shocked at some of the things I have read.

Audrey's parents were particularly interesting, her father was British and was considered a traitor and spent most of the war in a British prison. Her mother, Dutch, actively supported and met Hitler on many occasions, and even wrote about it in a fascist newspaper, something that followed her for a lifetime and had many implications.

What really struck a cord with me though was the connection to Anne Frank. Anne and Audrey were born weeks apart, the same age, just 60 miles away from each other and how different their lives were. I was amazed that Anne wrote in her diary an event in which Audrey's uncle was murdered. Audrey was called upon many a times to play Anne is various films which she always turned down.

Overall I enjoyed this however in true non fiction style it's a dry read.

Many of us know Audrey Hepburn as the extraordinarily waifish, pixie-like actress who played Gigi, Holly Golightly and Eliza Doolittle in our favorite movies. In her later years, she was a devoted UNICEF Ambassador and her love and care for children was at the forefront of her life until her death. Audrey was a very private person, did not usually give lengthy interviews and never answered questions regarding her childhood or teenage years. Most people thought she was "aloof" and too high society to do much socializing and wondered why. Robert Matzen's DUTCH GIRL is the story that provides answers as to what Audrey Kathleen van Heesmstra Hepburn-Ruston's life growing up was like. And growing up during World War II, life was anything BUT a movie.

Taking the reader back in time, we are there with Audrey as she is raised with her two step brothers by a mother who is too caught up in travelling in the limelight of the Nazis and Hitler and leaving her daughter behind with relatives. Bereft of a mother's love, Audrey develops a great love of ballet and because her mother had always dreamed of becoming a famous dancer herself, Ella does all she can to provide dance lessons and teachers for Audrey and lives vicariously through her daughters dancing triumphs.
But war takes its toll on everyone and as more threats develop the van Heemstra family must do whatever they can just to survive for five harrowing years.

Bringing snippets of Audrey's later years in Hollywood with glimpses of interviews with Audrey, her casting directors, co-stars and her two sons, Sean and Luca, we see how her years in wartime had a life-long affect on how she continued to live her life and relate to others.

For anyone who has loved and admired Audrey Hepburn, this book is an eye-opening homage to a legendary actress and humanitarian.

This month I'd tried to make an effort to read a few non-fiction things and I went into this expecting heavy reading. My knowledge of WWII is fairly limited as to what I was taught in school with focus more on the United Kingdom and Germany. Then there was the remarkable Anne Frank, whose diary I've read countless times and cried until I couldn't stop. This novel is a great insight into life in the Netherlands during WWII with Audrey Hepburn and her relatives lives as a focus. And oh, Audrey, how you have suffered and persevered. 'Dutch Girl' does a great job convincing you just how integral Audrey's experiences of WWII were to her later life, how her parents' actions and decisions shaped her very being, the things in life Audrey never wished to discuss (understandably so). I truly don't know what else to write as my heart aches for the childhood that many in WWII never got to have, the countless lives lost not just in the duration of the war but the trauma forever held afterwards. Audrey might never have been the greatest actress of her generation but her charm and grace resonated with many, and I think will for many years to come.

What I was able to read was phenomenal. I had an unfortunate case of serious errors while trying to read this, which definitely took away from being able to enjoy it. I couldn't even get to the end.
However I can't fault the book for technological error that has nothing to do with its content.
What I read was well written, engaging and informative. There was never a point where I felt it was slow, or lacking pace; filled in with random input to fill page counts. I thoroughly look forward to being able to purchase this upon release, and being able to read it without system freezing and being sent back to page 5 no matter how far I was.
Over all five stars for the work itself and the amazing information it divulged.

Audrey Hepburn on war: " I wouldn't have missed it for the world-anything that happens to you is valuable."

Thank you, Sarah, from Smith Publicity for sending the ARC of Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen. Just like her movies, this book flew by like a motion picture with me seeing myself as Audrey's imaginary friend. The next time I watch any of her superhit movies, I won't be able to stop thinking about this book. I am sure, Audrey might be giving Dutch Girl a thumbs up from heaven.

Robert Matzen records the life of Audrey Hepburn, a movie star who was known for her humanitarian work beyond Hollywood. This book starts with a touching note from Audrey's daughter, Luca Dotti. The write-up describes Audrey as a doting mother who didn't let her superstar status affect her kids. Luca warmly remembers her mother's knack of turning her wartime anecdotes into bedtime stories. As we read further, the book starts slightly before Audrey's birth as the author fleshes out her family's history.

Audrey was born in Belgium to Baroness Ella van Heemstra and Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston. Contrary to her mother's outgoing personality, Audrey was a shy and reticent child. Her childhood was uprooted when she was sent to boarding in England away from family. Soon after her birth, her parents separated due to which she rarely met her father. However, her maternal grandfather filled up that role in her life. Growing up alongside her older stepbrothers, she was a moody child. During that time, Hitler's control over Europe was mushrooming along with Audrey's growth, At a tender age, she witnessed her motherland come under Hitler's rule, overnight. Although her mother wasn't an overly emotional parent, they still connected. In fact, it was Ella who watered Audrey's interest in ballet and after a few months of practice, she gained popularity as a ballet star. This also became a base for her acting career at a blooming age of 21.

Dutch Girl has deep dived into Audrey Hepburn's personality beyond just the image that the world witnessed on the big screen. Not many of us recognise her as an empathetic and caring human that she was. More importantly, growing up in the wartime moulded her in adulthood. The author also describes the traumas and successes of Audrey's life, making the readers feel as if they are witnessing it in front of their eyes.

This is a troublesome little book.

Matzen explains in the introduction that very little has been written about Audrey Hepburn's years in the Netherlands during WWII, largely because there are few fruitful sources. Hepburn herself rarely spoke of that time in her life, and of course, by the time Matzen is writing, first-person sources have all but died out. Matzen assures the reader he has set out to fill this void in the biographical record.

To some extent, he has. Matzen goes into great detail about (his best guesses at) Hepburn's involvement with the Dutch resistance and her family's entanglement with Nazis. I was particularly struck by his examination of the effect Hepburn's early adolescence had on her relationship with food for the rest of her life, which certainly complicates our image of an effortlessly chic, fashionably thin young woman.

However, even with the power of the internet and a great deal of legwork, Matzen still runs up against the source limitations of previous biographers. Without enough information to go on about Hepburn herself, he pads the book with details about the war itself (of which we have a mountain of sources and scholarship). In this way, the book is less a biography than it is a survey of certain aspects of WWII, framed around the life of one person.

I didn't find the writing compelling at all. Matzen's style is very dry and lifeless, but it doesn't have the academic rigor I'd expect to get in exchange for lack of enjoyability. All together, a perfectly fine three-star read.

A corking read! If you are only familiar with Audrey Hepburn onscreen, you need to read this detailed and harrowing account of her life in the Netherlands under Nazi occupation. Matzen's book chronicles the years with detail, harrowing detail. How this period of her life shaped the woman who became the woman Audrey Hepburn is set out with care and scholarship that is admirable. His style of writing is exciting and also elegant. Knowing of Hepburn's long work for UNICEF, this book makes you understand why. Her work as a child in the resistance, amazing. Those brave souls. When I thought I could not admire this woman more, this book gives ample reasons why she is an inspiring figure 20+ years after her passing. A must read.

In the forward, the author claims to have all this never before known knowledge about Audrey's life during the war. However, it did not appear that anything--or at least very little--was revealed about Audrey's life during that time in this book. Audrey did speak about her life during the war--most chapters start with a quote from her about it--but she spoke about it very rarely because it caused her such pain. What the author more accurately did was put what little we know about her into a wider historical context. So when Audrey was taking dance classes or when her uncle was killed, the author spends a lot of time explaining what else was happening in the war around Europe. There are entire chapters where Audrey is not mentioned AT ALL while the author goes off on these tangents. While the context is, of course, relevant, it is given far too much precedence in a story that is supposed to be about Audrey Hepburn.

The largest value this book has is the chapter that talks about Audrey and Anne Frank. That was fabulous and should be its own book. Audrey and Anne were the same age, living in the same country at the same time--but their lives took wildly different paths. And yet, they intertwined. Audrey read Anne's diary many times during her life and later met Anne's father Otto. It was an incredibly fascinating chapter and would love to see this fleshed out. Why "Audrey and Anne" has not already been made into a book and movie is very surprising to me.

I enjoyed this book immensely. While I love biographies and memoir-type books, it is a rare treat to find an author who can write said book and keep it interesting. While the subject matter itself might be enough to hold the reader's interest, I tend to find myself with a pile of unfinished biographies, because the writing style was putting me to sleep. But Robert Matzen did a brilliant job of not only holding my interest, but keeping Dutch Girl running through my head each time I had to walk away from the book to tend to adulthood. A new fan of this author and a definite recommend for Dutch Girl.

Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and WW II
by Robert Matzen
due 4-15-2019
Good Knight Books, Pittsburgh

Audrey Hepburn was born in Belgium in 1929 and was always a shy and quiet person, best known for her work as an ambassador for UNICEF and for starring in movies including Breakfast At Tiffanyś and My Fair Lady.

This is a fascinating and intriguing look at at a part of Audrey life that is not as well known, her 5 years of living through Nazi Occupation in the Netherlands and her participation in the Dutch Resistance. She worked as a Doctorś assistant during ´The Bridge Too Far´ battle at Arnhem, she witnessed the brutal execution of her Uncle and lived through the Hunger Winter of 1944, esp hard to read. Taken from Audreyś wartime diaries, interviews with her sons and people she knew, and from research done at the Dutch archives, this is a compelling telling of a little-known part of the life of one of our most beloved actresses and personalities ever. Reading of her experiences through WWII were emotionally difficult, and hard to imagine but it gives such great insight to the ravages and devastation of this war and itś influences on peoples lives.

Highly recommended for fans of Audrey and WWII.
Thanks to Good KNight Books for sharing this ebook ARC for review.
#netgalley #DutchGirl

As soon as I heard about this book it went straight on to my tbr list and it did not disappoint.

This book is so detailed and well researched even the end notes are interesting reading.

It focuses on the childhood of Audrey Hepburn, particularly her life during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War Two. Hepburn was notoriously adept at separately her private and professional life in interviews, but by putting all the pieces together with the support of her family, the author has told a story that has remained untold.

It's a fascinating story - the details of the van Heemstra family and the part they play in Dutch history, Ella van Heemstras Nazi sympathies, Hepburn's dancing career and surviving the Nazi occupation are fascinating. What also stands out is the longterm affect the war years had on Hepburn and how they shaped the actress and woman she became.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely return to it in the future - the breadth and depth of it warrant a reread.

Thank you netgalley for this advanced copy in return for an honest review

Born in Belgium and having spend the first 18 years of my life there I was always interested in actress Audrey Hepburn.
Reading this book made me even appreciate her more for the type of woman she had become. I'm so glad this book was researched at a time when some of the children having lived through that awful period under the control of the Nazis where still alive to be able to talk about it.
If you are looking for a glamorous story this book is not for you. This tells what is was like. Some readers find this is more about the war and life in that five year period under the Nazis then about Audrey. I think they are wrong because it very much gives back her life story at a time when her biggest worry should have been about dancing and to start thinking about boys.
The chapter notes beginning at page 321 gives a description of the sources consulted. A lot of work and research went into producing this book.
Mentioning is made of some YouTube videos which are interesting to watch.

Robert Matzen is described by his publisher as "one of today’s top authors in popular biography" but the word popular should not detract from the years of scholarly research that have gone into producing this readable but also authoritative book. Painstaking research included new interviews with those who actually knew Hepburn in the Netherlands, archival research in several countries, previously unpublished secret diary entries and the limited references made by Hepburn to her early life. Hepburn as is repeatedly mentioned in the book was a very private person who was very careful whom she granted interviews to, always ensuring that the conversations did not stray into areas of her life that she felt uncomfortable with until her death.

In the preface her son Luca Dotti states that after the research conducted for the book he now has a greater understanding to this reticence and "why she was open about certain facts and why she kept so many others in a secluded area of her being." The central thesis of the book is that not only did the wartime experiences that she suffered make her the person that she would become but that they would also ultimately shorten her life.

The book delves into the murky lives of her parents which Hepburn would always try to conceal. Her mother wrote propaganda articles for British Fascist magazines in the 1930's, attended Nazi rallies and at least at the start of the occupation of the Netherlands would take an outwardly collaborationist stance. Her estranged father would be detained in a British prison during the war as an enemy agent. Although she was at school in England when war commenced, her mother believing that the neutrality of the Netherlands would be respected took in hindsight the disastrous decision in 1939 to fly her back there to escape the ravages of war.

The book's main content focuses on the occupation of the Netherlands and the effect this had on Audrey Hepburn and her family. This included the execution of her uncle, severe hunger, helping the resistance and witnessing the intense fighting due to her location near Arnhem. Although primarily concerned with her formative years reference is also made to her later life where she became not only a world famous actress and lasting fashion icon but also a humanitarian with The Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund continuing to have a number of ongoing projects designed to raise money and awareness for the needs of children worldwide.

A fascinating biography that dispels some previously accepted beliefs and is accompanied by a large selection of photographs. If you are interested in the factors that helped to shape such an iconic figure then this will be of interest to you.

The giddiness I felt upon receiving an advanced digital copy of this book to review was immense (thank you NetGalley and Smith Publicity!). I’m not alone in saying I’ve loved Audrey Hepburn since I first saw her in movies like Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. My personal library includes several books about her, and my infant son even has his own Audrey biography to enjoy! The more I’ve learned about her over the years, the larger my admiration has grown. Dutch Girl opens with an introduction from Luca Dotti, Hepburn’s youngest son. Knowing that he learned new information about his mother from Matzen’s research got me extra excited to read it, and I was not disappointed. Matzen’s writing captivated me and it felt like he was actually there taking notes on Hepburn’s family. I learned and was surprised by so much! I highly, highly recommend this for anyone who has even the slightest interest in Audrey Hepburn. Very well done!

#DutchGirl#NetGalley
This new biography by Robert Matzen mostly goes into details of the five years during World War 2 when Audrey Hepburn was 10-15 years old living in Holland. Her life was not what you might expect.
There are vivid descriptions of the people and the hardships they endured. Her town was situated so that there were times when it came under attack from the Germans as well as the allies chasing them down.
Her father divorced her mother and went back to England. Her mother, a baroness, had nazi leanings early on which would continue to haunt the family. Her uncle Otto, whom she adored, was executed.
She considered Anne Frank her “soul sister”.
Audrey would never fully recover emotionally. Her dream was to become a ballerina which ultimately led to her career as an actress.
The war years seemed to go on forever! Think less would be better.
The book does leave you with a new understanding of her quiet reserved personality.