Dutch Girl

I had a hard time at the beginning of this book because I spent too much time trying to read the Dutch names and cities. It didn't help my reading flow. To get through the book, I basically skimmed over all the Dutch names and just went into the nitty gritty part of the story. Once I did that, the book was fascinating! I love Audrey Hepburn. She was always my favorite actress. Learning about her life and her struggles during WWII was so sad and moving. I have read many Audrey Hepburn biographies. This one helped fill the gaps during the time in her life that she never really discussed. It was a very lovely book.

First, I had already heard that this was a history, not a biography, so I think that really improved my expectations for this read. It starts with pre-war family history and details a lot of the dynamics leading up to the war. I was surprised to hear how Audrey's mother had initially supported Hitler before seeing the ugly side of his plans for the world.

One of my favorite parts was learning how Audrey coped with the issues of war by dancing even when she was too starved to succeed and by reading. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that one of her two favorite authors was E. Phillips Oppenheim, since he is also one of mine but is mostly forgotten nowadays.

Thanks to the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

I'll never think of Audrey Hepburn the same way again after reading this book. Yes, I knew she survived WWII and had a hard time of it, but never realized just how much devastation she faced. While it focuses mostly on wartime, I enjoyed the bits of how the war influenced her future woven in between.

The book has several spots that focus on her mother and other family as well as the Netherlands in general which add to the visual. Extremely well researched and written wonderfully. I could see several scenes vividly. My respect for Audrey as a human being has increased dramatically. A remarkable woman indeed.