The Dutch Wife

As a Dutch native I needed to read this book. What you see on the front cover with all the swastika's during WW II in the Netherlands, that is how it was! Even the Dutch words like 'moffen' for Germans are correct and the author really did her home work in some cases. It is an interesting book but not the worst one I have read so far what the Nazi's did to people of the countries they occupied. Marijke knew that she would not survive in any camp and neither her husband Theo unless they found a 'profession' that was okay with the Nazi's. Theo was moved to certain different area's in different camps but always close to where Marijke - his wife- was. Marijke turned into a 'hoer' or prostitute. The ending could have been a lot better than what Ellen Keith gave it because she left you hanging with what happened to this married couple even though you find out the end of what happened to Karl, the SS officer. After the war ended, all the women who had worked for the nazi's, been hookers for them and collaborated with the Nazi's, were taken to the centre of the city/town they lived at and sat down on a chair while the Dutch survivors were chanting at them 'Nazi hoeren'. The women's head would be shaved, tar would be put on top of their head and chicken feathers would be put on top of top. After that was done, they were given a sign to wear saying 'I helped the Nazi's or I was a hooker for them' - ' ik hielp de Nazi's en was een hoer or prostitute for de Nazi's' and paraded down for every one to see. It is a shame that Ellen Klein did not put this in her book when she did the research for the real Dutch words like 'moffen', 'hoer'; and a lot of old Dutch people still address the German population as MOFFEN. I tried to figure out what Luciano was doing in the book but it may had to do with the dislike of the Nazi's of any race except their own and the torture what Luciano went true is still happening in South American countries. This book is a good eye opener for people who have never read a book of what the Nazi's were capable of doing during WW II and hopefully after they have read this book, it will remind them to be alert at all times so that a repeat of WW II will never happen again!!

The story begins in 1943 Amsterdam where Theo and Marijke de Graff are working with the Resistance to help save Jews when they are caught and sent to concentration camps. Marijke is sent to Ravensbruck where she does not like the living conditions. When Marijke is presented with an opportunity to be transferred to Buchenwald to work in a brothel, she accepts it knowing that this is where Theo was sent. Marijke meets SS Officer Karl Muller there and he falls in love with her. The story is told from the points of view of Marijke, Karl and Luciano Wagner who is imprisoned in Buenos Aires in 1977. All the loose ends of the story are tied up very nicely in the end. I thought this was a really good read and I enjoyed it although it was a little gruesome at times.

I had seen this book on the Kindle store for quite some time before I finally purchased it! It wasn't until I was scrolling through Facebook and happened to stumble upon a World War II Best Novels list that I read through that list and came across this book on there! After going through the list, I read the comments and a lot of people were talking about this book. I was convinced I needed to read this book and so I downloaded and started reading it right away; I was captivated from the first page! I found myself staying up later than I should each night to finish more pages, and during the day when I had down time I would open the book and start reading. I think the author did an amazing job at showing Kurt's evil side, but also his compassion side that he had for Marjike. The story was full of hope, heartbreak, plot twists and adventure that kept me turning each page in anticipation for the next. I would have loved to see what fate brought Theo and Marjike in the end when she gave birth to the baby and I would have loved to see where Marjike was in 1988 when the book ended. Fantastic novel!

Ellen Keith has written an excellent researched first novel about brothels in the Nazi concentration camps. In this book the brothel the book is centered around is the Buchenwald prisoner brothel for prominent and non-Jewish prisoners. The characters are well developed and this book is a page turner.I loved The Dutch Wife. I have been interested in the KZ brothels for a long time and believe this book belongs in the same category as The House of Dolls by Ka-Tzetnik 135633 and Lovely Green Eyes by Arnost Lustig.Ellen, thanks for writing this book about one facet of women's experiences during the Holocaust. It is finally time people learn about those women. Your novel will be and is an incredible teaching tool. People will now learn of the ordeals and atrocities these women had to endure. Their story was long suppressed and not even discussed by the women chosen as camp brothel workers (Joy Division aka Feldhuren). Shame weighed on them after liberation.

The Dutch Wife was a book I could not out down. It both repelled and fascinated me. I lived with these characters and they will live with me for a long time.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book cried at the end quickly dispatched

Enjoyable story and easy to read.

Will mankind never learn from its mistakes? In today’s harsh and uncertain political climate, this book opens up a door to war, the people , the crimes, the strengths and the weaknesses. It opens up channels for understanding, and a profound hope that we never have to live through such a nightmare ourselves.An Informative, exhausting, and a frightening read, but worth it.

The characters are often soooooo grey in nature!!It makes you realize that in war, one must do whatever just to survive.Heroes are often myths, yet I can understand and be compassionateto some characters, and yet realize how the unhumaness in others are so easily masked by their cultural propriety ( ie Nazi -SS members)