Rating: 
Summary: DUTCH AFTERMATH
Review: This sequel to THE UPSTAIRS ROOM continues the story of young Annie, slightly lame, and her older sister, Sini, who have spent three years in hiding with a kind Gentile family. Now the war is over and they are all free to live together as a Jewish family in Holland, to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives after Nazi persecution. But nothing is that simple, for they are not quite the same people. The pre-War status quo can never be recreated after years of suffering and humiliation. It is hard for Annie to leave the warm farm family who took them into their home and their hearts. Why does she experience so many conflicting emotions now that she is Free? Reluctance to leave her country haven; Despair over the endless quarrels between Sini and their father; Frustration at unsuccessful attempts to please a snobby, prejudiced step-mother. Why should she be forced to leave the family which has provided her with more than physical safety--who renew their offers of love and acceptance just as she is? What does the blended family have to tempt her, now that Sini wants to leave and Annie can not compete with her new sister-in-law? Because the Nazi threat has been removed, the story obviously lacks the intensity and nervous anxiety of its more famous predecessor; the dangers are not life-threatening but soul-disturbing. Annie struggles to fit into a new role, yet her gratitude and childlike feelings are all directed to toward the Past. She was safe and comfortable with her wartime hosts even when the Nazis were suspicious, because she held a special place of love in their home. Can her father ever make it up to her? A thoughtful but somewhat disappointing read.
Rating: 
Summary: Journey Back : an amazing story
Review: Title of the book: The Journey Back
By: Johanna Reiss
Reviewed by: M. Poppins
Period: 5 Hitler hated Jews. He started World War II. Every time he came across a Jew, he would kill them. Annie de Leeuw and her family were Jews. Her whole family had to go hiding. Annie and her sister Sini hid in the Oosterveld's house. The Oostervelds lived in Usselo, a very small town in Holland. Annie and Sini grew very close with Johan, Dientje, and Opoe (the Oostervelds). After the war ended, Annie and Sini had to go back to their real home. Their mother was dead. Their oldest sister, Rachel, was back too. She lived with another family during the war. When everyone was home, including the girls' father, nothing was back to normal. Every night, Sini went out and danced with the soldiers. Rachel became a Christian, and she spent most of her time reading the Bible. Annie's father was always distracted. He sold cows. Sini left to be a nurse in a different town. Then, Ies (Annie's father) decided that Annie needed a mother, not just her sisters. He decided to marry a woman that had lost her husband in the war. She even had a daughter. Ies told Rachel to go to a different town, because she and his wife-to-be were just a couple of years apart, and he said that it would never work. After Ies and Magda (his new wife) got married, Nel (Magda's daughter) went to finishing school. Annie was always home with Magda, which she now called Mother. Annie could never seem to please her. Annie always visited Johan, Dientje, and Opoe too. They treated her like their own family. Magda would not let her visit for a long time, though. One day, she would probably be with them again, and it would be for the rest of her life. I thought that this book was very good. "German soldiers. They knocked down the door, stormed in, marching and stamping and shouting to the rhythm of their boots." This was one of Annie's dreams. The author always made Annie scared, and that was what made it interesting. She always thought of the Germans, she was so afraid of them. "Later, Johan, later." No matter what happened, Johan was always the first person that Annie called to. When she was afraid, happy, or sad, she would always think of Johan. It shows that Annie always thought of her family first, and her family was Johan, Dientje, and Opoe. I liked at lot of parts in this book. I liked the parts when Annie went to the Oosterveld's house. She would always be happy, and she wouldn't have to worry about any German soldiers trying to kill her because Johan would be there, and she would always be safe.
Rating:
Summary: The Journey Back
Review: Title of the book: The Journey Back
By: Johanna Reiss
Reviewed by: M. Poppins
Period: 5 Hitler hated Jews. He started World War II. Every time he came across a Jew, he would kill them. Annie de Leeuw and her family were Jews. Her whole family had to go hiding. Annie and her sister Sini hid in the Oosterveld's house. The Oostervelds lived in Usselo, a very small town in Holland. Annie and Sini grew very close with Johan, Dientje, and Opoe (the Oostervelds). After the war ended, Annie and Sini had to go back to their real home. Their mother was dead. Their oldest sister, Rachel, was back too. She lived with another family during the war. When everyone was home, including the girls' father, nothing was back to normal. Every night, Sini went out and danced with the soldiers. Rachel became a Christian, and she spent most of her time reading the Bible. Annie's father was always distracted. He sold cows. Sini left to be a nurse in a different town. Then, Ies (Annie's father) decided that Annie needed a mother, not just her sisters. He decided to marry a woman that had lost her husband in the war. She even had a daughter. Ies told Rachel to go to a different town, because she and his wife-to-be were just a couple of years apart, and he said that it would never work. After Ies and Magda (his new wife) got married, Nel (Magda's daughter) went to finishing school. Annie was always home with Magda, which she now called Mother. Annie could never seem to please her. Annie always visited Johan, Dientje, and Opoe too. They treated her like their own family. Magda would not let her visit for a long time, though. One day, she would probably be with them again, and it would be for the rest of her life. I thought that this book was very good. "German soldiers. They knocked down the door, stormed in, marching and stamping and shouting to the rhythm of their boots." This was one of Annie's dreams. The author always made Annie scared, and that was what made it interesting. She always thought of the Germans, she was so afraid of them. "Later, Johan, later." No matter what happened, Johan was always the first person that Annie called to. When she was afraid, happy, or sad, she would always think of Johan. It shows that Annie always thought of her family first, and her family was Johan, Dientje, and Opoe. I liked at lot of parts in this book. I liked the parts when Annie went to the Oosterveld's house. She would always be happy, and she wouldn't have to worry about any German soldiers trying to kill her because Johan would be there, and she would always be safe.
| 
