May the Fourth, Praise the Fifth.

Hi everyone!

Since today is May the fourth (aka Star Wars day) I was planning on talking some more about Star Wars, BUT there’s something else going on this week that I think should have my priority. I don’t know all the exact dates all over Europe/the world, but today in the Netherlands we remember all the lives that were lost during the Second World War, and tomorrow (May 5) we celebrate Liberation Day! Poems and drawings To lighten the mood a little I’ll start with one of my memories of Liberation Day. When I was about ten or eleven years old I was forced (where’s the liberty in that?) by my school to enter a poetry contest. Not that I minded it. It was quite fun.

What I had to do was this: I had to write a poem about WW II and add a drawing. I had maybe one hour (not sure about this) to make both. It took me a lot of time to come up with a poem, so with only five minutes left on the clock I quickly added a drawing, scribbling down the very first thing that came to mind.

When I got the message I was one of the few ‘lucky ones’ that were chosen to have their poem ‘published’ (I mean, it were all kids who entered so it was just a little book with poems and drawings no one was ever going to read except for maybe parents and such) I thought that was pretty cool. There was this special event (I think at the city hall? But it could’ve been any place that looked somewhat fancy) where some of the winners got picked to read their poems out loud. I prayed that they wouldn’t choose me, because I did not like that idea one bit. Fortunately, I was not one of them.

At the end we got this little book with all the winning poems. I quickly scanned the pages in search of mine, but I couldn’t find it. That struck me as odd.

At last I found my name under a winning ‘piece of art’. Yup, my poem hadn’t been chosen, but my drawing—the drawing that had taken me less than five minutes to make—had. What a memory to have of Liberation Day, right? I still think it was hilarious though.

So now on to the serious part.

What helps me remember? When I think of WW II I think of a lot of horrible things that have happened. I don’t think anyone of our generation can truly grasp what it was like to live during the war, but I think it’s important to at least try to imagine for "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." One thing that really helps me with doing that is hearing stories. When I was a kid I heard several stories about the war, but as I grew older less and less people were left to tell them. Fortunately, we got books to help us capture moments, so it are books that help me remember.

When I think of books about WW II, two directly spring to mind: Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner and De Schuilplaats (The Hiding Place) by Corrie ten Boom. I have read several more, but these two are the ones that really got to me.

Secrets of a Charmed Life Secrets of a Charmed Life takes place during the Blitz. Its genre is historical fiction, so unlike the Hiding Place (as you will soon learn) it’s not based on a true story, although I suppose in a way it is.

The story is about fifteen-year-old Emmy Downtree, who has a burning ambition to become an apprentice to a fashion designer. Things seem to be looking up for her, but then the war begins and she and her sister are sent away to find refuge in a charming Cotswold cottage. Determined to return to the city, Emmy finds herself in London at the exact moment that the Luftwaffe rains down its terrible destruction. Getting separated from her sister, both their lives change forever.

This story had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Most WW II stories are written from the perspective of adults, so it was very interesting to read it from a much younger point of view. Even though I did not identify myself much with Emmy, I couldn’t help but come to care for her a lot.

Up until the end I desperately kept on hoping for her to have a happy ending, but I’ll leave it up to you if she had.

The Hiding Place The Hiding Place is one of those books you will never forget. I read this book back in 2017 but I am still blown away by the story. To everyone who doesn’t know what it’s about: it’s an autobiography in which Corrie ten Boom tells about her life during the Second World War. Together with her family she became leaders of the Dutch Underground, hiding Jewish people in their home in a specially built room and aiding their escape from the Nazis. They were good people, but luck wasn’t on their side. For helping the Jewish people, they were sent to a concentration camp. You can imagine horrible things happened to them, but despite all of that they kept their positive attitudes, their unbreakable faith and they never ceased to help others. I think it’s a very powerful story and I highly recommend it to everyone. If there is one story to make you appreciate what you have in this life, it most definitely is this one. I do have to warn you though: after reading it I felt quite miserable for at least a week or so, since the things described really got to me. But it also made me appreciate life. SO. MUCH. Here’s a short excerpt from the book from one of the last chapters in which she is finally free: "Tears tumbled into the hot tea as I drank. Here was someone who felt concern for me. […] I followed her down gleaming corridors in a kind of happy dream. In a large bathroom, clouds of steam were rising from a glistening white tub. Nothing in my life ever felt as good as that bath. I lay submerged to my chin, feeling the warm water soothe my scab-crusted skin. “Just five minutes more!” I would beg each time the nurse rapped at the door. At last I let her hand me a nightgown and lead me to a room where a bed was turned down and waiting. Sheets. White sheets top and bottom. I could not get enough of running my hands over them. The nurse was tucking a second pillow beneath my swollen feet. I struggled to stay awake: to lie here clean and cared for was such joy I did not want to sleep through a minute of it.”

Imagine how lucky we are for being able to drink tea whenever we want, or to have a bath/shower whenever we please. And what about being able to sleep on a comfortable mattress under clean sheets every night. We are lucky. We are blessed. And it’s all thanks to the people who fought for our freedom.

A big thank you to all who made that happen. May we NEVER forget,

May we NEVER repeat,

And may the fourth (and fifth) be with you. Always.

Much love,

Annabel

Book reviews:

The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure by Jason Fry ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery ★ ★ ★ ★ ★