Review by geebeex -- The Weeping Woman of Putten

[geebeex]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Weeping Woman of Putten" by Alyce Bailey.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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As a Dutch village with religion at its heart readies for church on a Sunday morning, there is panic as men, women, and children are rounded up by Nazis and herded into the village square. The news is spread that a German officer was killed in the night, and as retaliation the village and community will be punished. Nurse Janneke tries to help as many as she can, but ultimately is forced to watch as the people she knows and loves are marched onto Nazi trains heading to prison camps.

Despite the serious and haunting subject matter of the book, Alyce Bailey shapes a heartwarming and bittersweet account of the Second World War in the Netherlands in The Weeping Woman of Putten. In telling a true story Bailey manages to capture the essence of the real people involved in her story, and it is clear through her writing the impact the events documented in her book impacted her and her family.

Through the 200 page book we follow characters from Putten through the events which gave the village its rich history today, and turned the lives of so many upside down. Bailey conveys rich emotion in her writing, making the reader’s heart ache for the tragedy that befalls the people and yet portrays the characters as well-rounded people with their own hopes and dreams, in stark contrast to the way they are treated as prisoners by Nazis.

The text is beautifully written and edited, and the layout is clear and precise. The switch between the narrating character is clearly shown and each character has an individual voice, making them easily identifiable even if one were to open the book at a random page. My only pet peeves with this book are the constant Americanisms throughout, and the sometimes over-formality of the speech. Being a book about Europeans, and set throughout Germany and the Netherlands, it seems unrealistic to me that the characters would call their mothers ‘mom’, or refer to daschunds as ‘weiner dogs’. However, these are a very minor points in an otherwise well written and grammatically correct book.

Overall I feel this book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in World War 2, as it shows the war from a new perspective. There is very minimal use of expletives, and there is mild reference to sexual relationships. The subject matter is obviously very sensitive, so discretion must be taken but I believe the poignancy and attention to detail make it both an educational read, and an emotional one. I give this book 4 out of 4 stars, due to the gripping way Bailey told the story of the men and women of Putten.

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The Weeping Woman of Putten
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[Anon_Reviewer]

It's always refreshing to hear stories about WW2 that are not set in any of the combatants, e.g. Britain, France, Japan, the USA, etc. I can understand why the minor errors you mention might be irritating. Nonetheless, this sounds like a great one. Thanks for the wonderful review!

[fadjei]

I always like to read books related to important historical events. This sounds like a great read that would be very educational.
Thanks for your review!

[MsH2k]

This book sounds like a great way to gain further perspective on the impact of WWII without reading a boring history book. Thanks for your review!

[kdstrack]

It's true that these topics can be sensitive and emotional. These true stories are an important part of history that open our eyes to events that really happened! Hopefully, this unique perspective will make us wiser for the future. Thanks for your captivating review!

[DEEPA PUJARI]

Great review. I have read too many books on ww2 so I think I will pass this one.

[Juliet+1]

There are so many stories about the effect of war on civilians. And yet there can never be too many until we stop waging war. Thanks for an excellent review.