Overview
Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen seeks to uncover the little-known story of the iconic actress’s adolescence under Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. Drawing from several sources including wartime diaries and interviews, the book reveals how Hepburn endured the trauma of war. Some of the horrors she faced included the execution of her beloved Uncle Otto, the Hunger Winter of 1944, and the ever-present threat posed to Jewish neighbors and friends in hiding. She also lived with the knowledge of her father’s Nazi ties (as well as her mother’s early Nazi sympathies).
Dutch Girl further explores how Hepburn took an active role in the Dutch Resistance. She assisted Dr. Hendrik Visser ’t Hooft, a key figure in sheltering Jews in their small town of Velp. Hepburn also performed in underground events (she was a talented ballerina) to fundraise for the resistance. These defiant acts during her teenage years foreshadow her later humanitarian works, most notably with UNICEF.
Strengths
Dutch Girl‘s greatest strength is that it provides insight into a mostly unknown part of Audrey Hepburn’s life. Hepburn was notoriously tight-lipped about her experience during World War II. Matzen’s efforts in the book shed light on a story that was previously in the dark to most of the world. In doing so, Matzen helps the reader understand a period of life pivotal for any person, let alone in a war-torn country: their teens. This in turn informs the reader of Hepburn’s later dedication to humanitarian work. She served as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1988 and earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992.
Matzen also offers valuable insight into everyday life in the Netherlands under Nazi occupation. With Hepburn providing only limited firsthand detail, he turns to those around her to paint a fuller picture. Through their accounts, the reader gains a richer sense of the hardships, fear, and quiet acts of resistance that defined the Netherlands during World War II.
Lastly, Dutch Girl is a relatively fast read at 400 pages, or 10 hours and 42 minutes of listening time.
Drawbacks
The biggest drawback of Dutch Girl is something Matzen could not work around. This is the fact that the book is not a firsthand account of Audrey Hepburn’s experience during the war. Since Hepburn provided little information herself and left no diary, this is unavoidable. However, it leaves the reader wanting an emotional connection the book can’t deliver. At times, it feels more a story of the place where Hepburn lived rather than a story about Hepburn’s experience.
Related to this, Matzen must rely on what Hepburn likely felt instead of how Hepburn actually felt. To his credit, Matzen makes it clear when he is providing conjecture. However, it is another aspect that may prevent the reader from emotionally connecting with the story and Hepburn.
Final Word
Overall, Dutch Girl provides the reader a glimpse into the mostly unknown past of one of Hollywood’s biggest icons. This makes it a must for any fan of Audrey Hepburn. It is also an interesting book for World War II enthusiasts looking for an entry off the beaten path.
On a personal note, I had no idea Audrey Hepburn was Dutch let alone she lived in the Netherlands during Nazi occupation before seeing this book. In reading, I also discovered that her small town of Velp lays just a few miles from Arnhem, the city of A Bridge Too Far fame.
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