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Rating: 
Summary: Very powerful book
Review: As a school assignment, I was supposed to read Was God On Vacation?, by Jack van der Geest. I thought that this book was amazing. Jack has certainly lived an amazing life from escaping from the Buchenwald concentration camp to storming the beaches of Normandy. He writes in detail all of his suffering. After reading the book I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. van der Geest. He is an amazing man with an amazing story. I think that this is a much better book than Night by Elie Wiesel that has won awards. Jack's book should have won some awards. This is an exciting book, I highly recommend it.
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Summary: The Strength of the Human Spirit
Review: Jack van der Geest's chilling true story of his life during World War II should go up there with Elie Wiesel's Night and Kurt Vonnegut's Mother Night as must-reads for high school students. Since Mr. van der Geest resides in the same town as I, his book is required reading.
His story is one of wonder, fear, and terror, from his work in the Dutch Underground, to the betrayal of a neighbor woman that landed Jack and his mother and father in Nazi concentrations, to Jack's reluctant work as an aid to German doctors, to his escape from Buchenwald . . . And the book's not even half over. Once he's safely escaped, he takes the reader through western Europe, making trips through several countries guiding Allied soldiers to safety and working for the French Underground. In my high school history text book, an incident is reported in which Mr. van der Geest was involved in, while working with Allied forces in England. This book is a shocking account of both the cruelty of some humans, and also the strengh and compassion of others.
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Summary: Amazing Book
Review: Mr. Van Der Geest spoke at my school and I have never heard a more amazing story of courage and faith. This book captures his story of his survival during WW2 and all he accomplished after he escaped the death camp. I would recommend this book to any person young or old because we cannot forget what happened to this man and the thousands of others like him - especially those who were not so blessed as to survive. We cannot forget our history and we must learn from it. This should be a mandatory book to read in highschools everywhere, because it carries a far more important, interesting, heartbreaking, and yet hopegiving story than any other book I certainly ever read. I'm so glad this man had the courage to tell his story.
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Summary: Enjoyed this book!
Review: My father recently sent me this book as a present. It was probably the best book that I have read this past year. This story, of Jack Van Der Geest, life...really hit home for me. Recently, I became very sensitive to racism. Specifically, my fiances son was beaten by a group who believed him to be a white supremist. I plan to buy this book on a regular basis and give it as a gift to those other parents that need it...to educate our youth on the tragic events of World War II. Jack Van Der Geest...is an inspiration... Rob Johnson
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