Exceptional, remarkable, heartfelt and heartbreaking all in one. This WorldWar2 novel is one you’ll want to read and keep some tissues handy. So worth it.

Thank you, Elle van Riijn, bookouture & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Make sure you keep a box of tissues handy while reading Elle van Rijn’s The Orphans of Amsterdam because this book will break your heart.

Nursery teacher Betty has always put the wellbeing of the children in her care first. So she is shocked, dismayed and terrified at what’s been happening in the city in the last couple of months. The Nazis have come to Amsterdam and begun to take the children away to a place called Auschwitz. The nursery has become part of a German deportation centre and once they make that journey across the border, these families and children are never heard of ever again.

When Betty hears of an underground network to save the children, she immediately realises that she can no longer sit on the sidelines. She must do her bit to help these children and their families – even if she is fully aware of the dangerous consequences should she be discovered. With spies everywhere and few people she can trust, Betty needs to be very careful not to arouse anybody’s suspicion. Although she is aware of the risks, Betty has no qualms about doing this work and she would put herself in the line of fire for these children any day of the week. However, one night while she is preparing for another delicate operation involving five children, she hears the heavy tread of boots on the stairs.

Has Betty been rumbled? Will she pay the ultimate price for her bravery? Or could she be in for an even more shocking surprise?

Elle van Rijn’s The Orphans of Amsterdam is a powerful and poignant historical tale about bravery, courage, resilience and honour. It celebrates women’s indomitable spirit to triumph in impossible circumstances when the odds are stacked against them and will make you feel every single emotion which the characters in this book go through.

A book that lingers in the mind and heart long after the last page is turned, Elle van Rijn’s The Orphans of Amsterdam is a breath-taking historical novel I highly recommend.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is an excellent work of historical fiction that presents an almost unbelievable description of the nurses who risked their lives to care for and try to save Jewish babies and children in Amsterdam during WWII. The book is based on facts and real people.

By using various methods, the nurses in an orphanage managed to save hundreds of children from being transported to their deaths in concentration camps in the east. The story was fascinating and the book was very well written.

Betty Oudkerk is a Jewish nursery teacher, aged only 17. Dutch Jews are being deported but the nursery is allowed to care for the children while they wait their turn. Betty and her colleagues are determined to save as many children as they can, risking their own lives...
The Orphans of Amsterdam is an historical novel set in the 1940s in the Netherlands. It is based on a true story and the main characters depicted were real people. The notes at the end relate the outcomes for various characters, some of which are heartbreaking while others are uplifting.
Tension and dread haunt the characters as they attempt to save hundreds of children from deportation to Auschwitz. The author has done considerable research in order to convey the danger, hope, terror and bravery of the characters. I did feel that the plot was a little repetitive with the process of hiding children and falsifying documents as well as the staff's attachment to some of the children.
The book is written from Betty's first person perspective as she deals with the occupation of her country, the despicable treatment of Jews by the Nazis and authorities, upheaval for her family as well as her developing womanhood. The style of writing is very personal and almost chatty at times which brings Betty's character to life. Her emotions are easy to relate to as she worries for her family and despairs of the regime that is hunting them.
The Orphans of Amsterdam is a very poignant book as it is based on real life events surrounding a group of brave people. Their actions had serious repercussions for some of them but they managed to save 600 children from almost certain death.

THE ORPHANS OF AMSTERDAM

Elle van Rijn, Bookouture 2022, £0.99(GBP), e-book, ISBN: 9781803140285
Reviewer: Angela Moody
Betty Oudkerk is a young nursery school teacher in Amsterdam in the opening days of World War Two. She is fearless, unafraid to offer a modest smile to strange men on the tram.
Betty is thrust into hell when the Nazis bomb Rotterdam and overrun Holland. Her family is Jewish.
Betty defies the Germans. To her wearing the star is silly until she witnesses a roundup of people not wearing theirs. Then her brother and his wife disappear, then another brother. Then, her mother and grandmother. A third brother goes into hiding. She and her sister have a Sperre, a special document declaring them essential to the Jewish Council.
Her director, Pimentel, recruits quick-thinking, fearless Betty and two women to hide children in the school, knowing what will happen if they go with their parents. Though Pimentel chastises Betty for her impetuosity, it is what she counts on when things get dicey. Not everyone is brave. Betty confronts selfishness and cowardice at every turn.
A wonderful read. Fast-paced, with twists and turns so gut-wrenching it stays with you for days. Highly recommended.

Amsterdam, 1941. My name is Betty. Until a few months ago, I was just like every other nursery teacher in the city – singing silly songs with the toddlers, sharing lunch with friends, smiling at the handsome stranger on the rickety tram ride home to my family each evening. Until the Nazis came and tried to take our children away…

Now, our humble nursery is part of a Nazi deportation centre for little ones and their families. My heart pounds when I hear the rumours about what awaits them at the end of the forced transports across the border, to Auschwitz.

My eyes fill with tears when I see my old friends and neighbours turn their faces away, pretending not to see. None of them want to risk themselves, even to save a child’s life. So, at the nursery we form a plan, though I know it’s horribly dangerous. The Germans shoot anyone who crosses them and there are spies everywhere. But each time I smuggle the warm, innocent bundle of a sleeping baby past the watchful guards and into the arms of the underground network, I know it’s worth the risk.

What I don’t know is if – when the Nazi soldiers discover what I’m doing and come for me – I’ll be able to save myself from the same, terrifying fate…

Based on the heart-wrenching true story of an ordinary young woman who risked everything to save countless children from the Nazis. A heartbreaking and gripping read that will have you reaching for the tissues. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Nightingale

Oh my what a heartwrenching story of such bravery. I was absorbed in this from start to finish and I think I went through two boxes of tissues. I recommend everyone read this book which is based on a true story. This is one book that will stay with me for a long time , I will never forget it.
Thank you netgalley and bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

My rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5

#netgalley #theorphansofamsterdam

What a moving story from start to finish. It took a while to get going for me but when it didn't want to put it down. I also hadn't realised that this was based on true life stories. The story centres mainly around one young woman and how she and others that worked in the nursery helped to save the lives and smuggle out jewish children. This is another book that I will remember reading for a long time.

The Orphans of Amsterdam is not only a well written story but educates the reader on the children affected by World War II. It leaves a recorded history of the teachers and community members who dedicated their lives to saving the lives of these children who would otherwise be sent to a concentration camp.
Elle van Rijn did an amazing job giving life to the characters. I have always wondered what people felt when they woke up to realized that their next door neighbors had disappeared during the night. Rijn details the events of what it was like for a young girl in Amsterdam. First with being sent away from school early to securing a job at the nursery. So many people worked to help save lives during and many will forever be unknown but Rijn has given the names of the workers at Infants Institution and Children’s Homes Association in Amsterdam and secured their place in history and in the mind of the readers of The Orphans of Amsterdam.
Thank you to Bookouture and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

I was a bit confused as the title of this book is now different to the copy that I recieved. However, I definitely prefer the new title.
This book was good but I was not a big fan of the writing and the main character was very unlikely. I had a hard time connecting with her due to how childish and kind of annoying she was. The story was, of course, a heartbreaking one and I appreciated how she wrote that. I think overall the writing style might not have been something I particularly liked but the book was still a good read.

I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Oh my! This was such a heartwrenching story that needed to be told. Though I’ve read another book about the Nazi’s using Nursery schools for deportation to not only get Jewish children but their parents too. This story is based on true events and the majority of the characters are and were real people.

This story is so heartbreakingly and beautifully written that I believe this should be a MUST read for those that love WWII historical fiction. I still marvel and the true depths of cruelty some people could have towards children and the bravery of those that tried to save as many as they could. At the end of this book you actually find out what happened to those that were written about. Those that survived and those that did not.

I can’t thank #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Another heart-wrenching WWII novel based on true events in which most of the characters were real people. This story is set in Amsterdam, which in and of itself is a little different than the usual Paris/England/Germany based WWII novels. Being set there I knew I was going to see yet another unknown aspect of WWII. I knew nothing about the nursery or the people there who saved so many children. Sure I knew there were resistance fighters all over Europe working to save children from Hitler's evil grasp. I did not know anything about a nursery or nursery nurses or the Infants Institution and Children's Homes Association and my eyes were opened once again to a new and fascinating story of heroic women who risked everything to defy Hitler and save countless Jewish children, practically right under the Nazis' noses.
It really gave this story more impact learning that characters like nursery director Pimentel was a real person who really did set up a whole network dedicated to saving the children's lives and even before knowing Betty was real I had fallen in love with her impetuous, candid, open, speak her mind character, it was added icing on the cake that she was a real person and she did survive the war.
This story is a must read for all WWII historical fiction buffs, it is both entertaining and educational, well researched and beautifully written it will capture your heart.
Thank you to Bookouture and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

This WW2 historical novel is a true remarkable story written by Rijn focused around the largest and most modern Jewish nursery located in Plantage Middenlaan, Netherlands, its Jewish teachers and the children in the nursery. At this period of time in 1942 Jews were not allowed to marry non-Jews, they were not allowed to play sports, all transportation in any form were halted for Jews, curfews for shopping grocery, Jewish butchers were forced to close their doors, even not allowed to sell their home furniture, not allowed to use the telephone or visit non-Jews. In the story even in the middle of hatred and exclusion, I was astonished and felt empathy for the main character Betty Goudsmit - Oudkerk, a highly optimistic and cheerful young lady who has done something of courage, charm, naivety, fearlessness and perseverance by taking care and almost saving a hundred of children from the German SS troops. In autumn 1942, she was working as a seventeen-year-old nursery teacher where at a place from which many people would be sent to their deaths. Life with the children for Betty was playing, eating, sleeping, playing and bathing where children adored her.

I was wondering by the network the director of the nursery, a silver-grey haired stocky older woman, Henriette Pimentel had set up secretly in her nursery at the main place Hollandse Schouwburg theatre, where Dutch Jews were gathered and deported through Westerbork to Auschwitz. Over 6,600 Jewish men have been transported from Amsterdam to Westerbork at this point.

A must read for those readers who love historical fiction novels. The author Elle Van Rijn has taken great effort for researching this gripping story during World War 2 in Europe. I would rate it 5 Star.

I just reviewed the book, The Orphans of Amsterdam by Elle Van Rijn, Thanks to Publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for an advance copy for my honest review.

Based on true events this is a book that I would recommend everyone give a read. It's beautifully presented and absolutely heartbreaking. I think any book that is based around children and saving them pulls at the heartstrings more... arm yourself with tissues before reading!

The characters are nearly all real people and at the end of the book you'll find a listing of who survived and who sadly didn't.

Poignant, hard hitting and truly memorable. And another piece of history that we were never taught in school.

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm always in the mood for a good World War 2 historical fiction novel, even more when it's a different location or event than the typical novels. The Orphans of Amsterdam definitely fit the bill, being based on a true story of women saving young Jewish children in occupied Holland.

The Orphans of Amsterdam is another amazing novel that I am so glad to have been a part of the book tour. As the author herself is Dutch, I'm not sure it is a novel I would have easily discovered on my own and that would have been quite the loss. Van Rijn's writing style held my interest, especially with the fact based information that was interspersed within the novel. The book itself covered an area I knew virtually nothing about and it definitely kept me turning the pages to find out more and more. The risks Betty and her coworkers took to save the children in the care were unbelievable, and knowing it was based on a true story made it really hit home.

A story of heartbreak, bravery, courage and resilient during a time that there was so much loss and so little hope for so many people. It takes place in Amsterdam, and tells the story of Betty, a girl from a Jewish family that owns a successful fabric business until Hitler and his regime come to town and take over. Betty works in the local childrens nursery and is offered a position where she thought she was just going to be caring for and playing with the local children, but little did she know it would involve so very much more before it was all said and done. The nursery takes in Jewish children while their parents go to work, but it soon turns into a transport hub to hide and send the kids out and away to safety. Betty loses a lot of her innocence once this happens m and watching her grow and take part in something that was so much bigger than her and her family was so inspiring. There was so much evil and hatred and so few people who were willing to stand up and do what was right. During her work, she is sent to the hospital to pick up medication for the children and she meets Leo, who supports and encourages her work and soon becomes one of her closest friends.
This was a real eye opener of a story for me because it was based on a true story. I loved Betty’s grandmother and Engel-they provided some much needed levity in the middle of such a tough subject. This was the first book I’ve read set in Holland during WW2 but it is definitely a story that needed to be told and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to read it.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Betty, did all she could to protect the children during the take over of Amsterdam in 1941. The Nazis were rounding the children up to deport them Betty was a nursery teacher, who worked in the nursery. Betty and other nurses worked so hard hiding the children when they were come for. Written as fiction but the author, Elle van Rijn did much research and many events and people were real. The underground network had so much courage trying to help the children. This book had much history for that time period and is heartbreaking.
I was given an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture. Thank you! I have given an honest review.

The Orphans of Amsterdam by Elle Van Rijn is an emotional story full of heartbreak, courage, bravery and extraordinary resilience at a time when all hope was lost for so many innocent people. Set in Amsterdam it tells the story of Betty, who comes from a Jewish family, who until now have been well off running a fabric business but times are changing thanks to the rise of Hitler. Betty lives with her mother, sister, three brothers and her grandmother and her former housekeeper Engel.

Straight away I’ll say, despite the tough subject matter, that Betty’s grandmother and Engel were like a comedy duo who offered some laugh-out-loud moments throughout. I don’t know was it meant to come across like this but it offered some light relief when things got very tough for the family and Betty. Aside from these moments, this book was a real eye opener as it was based on a true story. I’ve not read many books set in Holland during World War Two but it was definitely a story that needed to be told. We all know lots about what happened in other countries at this time and of the horrific camps etc but I knew nothing at all about the brave group of nursery teachers and the resistance network who put their lives on the line to save as many innocent children as possible.

The Germans have occupied Amsterdam and it has come to the point where it is hard to know whether someone is good or crooked, but Betty will soon learn that people will give others away if it means saving their own skin. I felt the themes and background to the story were very well introduced and I loved how at the beginning of each chapter there was a brief paragraph or two which informed the reader what was going with relation to the Jewish community and the war. Details of new laws and sanctions were mentioned and how they were being rounded up and being sent to camps. This tool of informing the reader at the beginning of a chapter was very effective as it then allowed the chapter to focus on Betty and the nursery and you could see how the actions of the nurses and the director fitted in with what was going on all around them.

Initially, Betty had an air of innocence surrounding her in that when she was offered a position on a training programme for nursery nurses at a nursery founded by the Infants Institution and Children’s Homes Association, she viewed it as just another regular job where she could interact, play with and care for children. The nursery takes in Jewish children whose parents have to work during the day but soon that all changes as it becomes a hub for transportation and here is where the innocence of Betty vanishes and the reader really sees her start to grow up and become fully aware of what is going on around her. She becomes part of a much bigger operation where in the face of so much hatred and lack of moral purity there are a few who are willing to do what is right and fight against the tide of evil which is rising rapidly. The laws regarding Jews constantly change and soon their lives are irreparably altered. To wear the yellow star on your clothing means you are marked and danger lurks around every corner. The Jewish community is branded and excluded but thanks to Betty’s job she is able to continue her work and is not targeted. The same cannot be said for the remainder of her family except for her sister who works in a local hospital. Betty finds herself treading a very dangerous path but the admiration the reader develops for her just grows and grows with every turn of the page.

At times as a reader when you read so much World War Two historical fiction you feel you may start to become hardened to some of the events and details and that should never be the case but admittedly for me on occasion this does happen. But with this story, my eyes were reopened as to just how much suffering went on and in this case with the specific focus being on children it really does pack an emotional and gut-wrenching punch. Pimentel is the director of the nursery and she come across as being firm but fair. She can see that Betty has great potential and is becoming deeply invested in the children in her care but that there is also a recklessness about Betty. She says what she feels without thinking of the consequences and I felt at times Pimentel almost had to give her a rap on the knuckles and rein her in a bit because she wanted her to be more heedful as she knew Betty could potentially play a very important role. This role does come to light around the halfway point of the story and here is where things really ramped up with tension, unease, mistrust and fear waiting around every corner.

Across from the nursery is a theatre where the Jew,s both young and old, are brought to once they have been rounded up. Here is where they wait until they are then transported to a camp. They are made to believe that camp conditions are good and that they are just being placed there for their own safety and they will eventually be able to return home. But Betty and the women at the nursery know this is not the case and with the aid of some members of the Jewish council and also a resistance network that has sprung up they do their best to hide as many children as possible and then they can be brought to a safe place. The descriptions of the conditions in the theatre were truly horrifying. That first time when Betty is sent there to bring over the children to the nursery where they stay until they reunite with their parents for transportation, well the images still have not left my mind. The desperation, anger and fear felt by those incarcerated was real and the living conditions were beyond appalling. No section of Jewish society was spared from being rounded up and my heart broke at those who couldn’t look after themselves and who had no notion of what fate was about to befall them.

Initially, there is an unpredictability and randomness as to who is sent to the camps but really no one is spared and Betty feels this when her family are taken. I think if her family had remained safe in the apartment above the family shop which had been taken from them then Betty wouldn’t have the guts to participate in the scheme to hide as many children as possible. But knowing her family had been so affected she concluded what she was doing was right and so very just. Betty and her colleagues show us that through joining forces we are made stronger and in doing so they protected so many children. In an end note it mentions that over 600 children at the nursery were saved which was remarkable. I loved uncovering all the little details that were put into play to make their ‘missions’ as successful as possible and my heart was in my mouth several times over as I was sure they were going to be discovered.

The Orphans of Amsterdam is an important and remarkable read. If I had not read it the true story of so many fearless women and men, I would have continued on in ignorant bliss. Instead, I have a newfound appreciation for what so many people did during the war and it makes you think how would you have reacted if you found yourself in the same situation? I found the first half of the book to be quite conversational in the writing style as it just detailed things seemingly one after the other. It became grittier in the second half which I felt it needed to be. I did find the ending to be quite abrupt and I wanted and needed more answers but then I found the end notes from the author and I was glad to see things explained and followed up in more detail. This book is worth a read as it taught me many things and despite the heavy nature of the topic the author shone a light on so many heroes whose story needed to be brought out into the forefront of many readers hearts and minds.

Amsterdam, 1941; Betty is a nursery school teacher living in the heart of the city. When the Nazis arrived in the city, they began to take the children away. One by one the children were taken away from their familiar environment, and the protection of their teachers, their families and their friends. Betty hears of an underground network that helps save the children, Betty knows she must sacrifice everything to save the children she loves.

This is the first story I have read by this author. I found her writing style to have a wonderful flow. This story drew me in at the very beginning, and held my attention to the very end. This heart-wrenching story was inspirational and hopeful. The sacrifices people made to survive such horrible times continues to amaze me. Their selfless acts to save those around them, was incredible, leaving you contemplating for days and days. When I discovered this story was based on true events, I was heartbroken. There are so many stories of courageous people that must be told so that we can learn from them. Their experience and the heart breaking things that they have overcome is sure to encourage us all. This is a wonderful must read for all historical fiction fans, but make sure you keep the tissue box nearby, because you will surely need it.

Thank you Elle Van Rijn for such a stirring and heartbreaking story. I look forward to reading many more of your stories. I loved it and I highly recommend it.

"It's as if we're each sharing our family histories in order to convince ourselves that they existed. So as not to lose them in mere thoughts but to capture them in words. Words that form sentences. Sentences that tell stories."

I was exceptionally excited to see Bookouture publish a book about WWII resistance in the Netherlands, translated from the original Dutch version. I always love stories about everyday people and how the war influenced their day-to-day lives. The Orphans of Amsterdam is such a story. It is also based on a real story, which made it all the more exciting to me. In the book we meet young (Jewish) Betty as she starts her work as nursery teacher in Amsterdam. The beginning of the book shows how her life as a Jewish woman during WWII becomes more and more difficult, as more ordinances are put in place everyday, and Betty fears for her family's safety. As the nursery where Betty works is turned into a creche specifically for the children being put on transport to camp Westerbork (and later other camps as well), Betty and her colleagues are trying to find ways to safe the children...

What I appreciated about The Orphans of Amsterdam, was first and foremost the simplicity of the writing. I often feel like stories that are set against such a grim background benefit from a less is more approach, and I found it in this one. I also loved our sassy main character Betty. It's easy to forget that she is only seventeen, but sometimes the brazenness comes out (not always to her own benefit). I also liked the fact that there was space for friendship and even a bit of romance (the normalcy of being a teenager despite everything going on). This is one I would recommend to anyone who likes to read about WWII, but more so about the everyday lives of people rising up against the system. There is cruelty, but not overly explicit and definitely less so than in many WWII books that focus on the camps.

The atrocities that this book covers always brings a tear to my eye and it’s sometimes hard to read these types of books but we must never forget what happened and keep telling these stories.

I visited Auschwitz concentration camp just before lockdown in 2020 and it was the most harrowing and thought provoking experience of of my life.

Betty who is forced out of collage because she’s not allowed to study in a collage anymore gets a job as a Nursery Nurse in a Jewish nursery just when the Nazis begin the terrible atrocities against Jewish people.

As time goes on more rules are brought it saying what she can and can’t do and more and more places she’s always known are closed down and taken over, some as deportation centres.

For such as young woman Betty has so much courage doing what’s right even though in doing so could get her killed.

This story is absolutely incredible and is my best 5 ⭐️ read this year, I urge everyone to read it!.