Being a huge fan of the late Audrey Hepburn, I knew much about her work as an actress and humanitarian. But when it came to her childhood growing up in the Netherlands during World War II, my knowledge was quite small. So when I came across Robert Matzen’s book Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II, I knew I had to read it.
Born in Belgium to an English father and a Dutch mother, Audrey’s life was already upended when her father abandoned the family and her parents divorced.
And that was just the beginning of what would be an incredibly difficult and troubled childhood.
Living in England when World War II began, Audrey and her mother moved to the Netherlands because Audrey’s mother thought they would be safer. They settled in and Audrey continued her beloved ballet training, unaware of the horror she would face. In 1940 Audrey’s life was thrown into a complete upheaval when Germany invaded her new homeland.
Countless horrors happened. Audrey’s uncle was taken hostage and executed. She witnessed Jewish citizens rounded up and taken to concentration camps. People nearly starved to death.
During this time Audrey and her family worked for the resistance and Audrey continued her dance lessons.
Though I was somewhat aware of this time in Audrey’s life, I was also shocked by some things. For instance, Audrey’s mother was initially a supporter of Hitler and his regime. During her career, Audrey was often questioned by her mother’s actions.
Throughout Dutch Girl are stories of Audrey’s film career. I found most of these stories to be very interesting. And I was especially fascinated on how the brief life of Anne Frank affected her.
Dutch Girl is portrayed as book about Audrey’s life during World War II, and this is true in some respects. However, I found it to me more of a history book of Works War II in the Netherlands. Audrey is more of a marketing tactic.
If you want to learn more about Audrey Hepburn, Dutch Girl is an interesting book, but there are countless more worthy nooks about this singular woman.
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