Flory

One woman's account of surviving the Holocaust

Flory A. Van Beek

Like Anne Frank, Flory A. Van Beek was just a young girl when the Germans began their march across Europe. As a Jewish family living in the Netherlands, Flory’s family anxiously watched events unfold across Europe but felt hopeful that their homeland would be spared. However, as the Nazi threat drew ever closer Flory and her family realised that Holland would not remain untouched for much longer.

At 18, seeing an opportunity to escape war-torn Europe, Flory boarded the ship SS Simon Bolivar bound for South America with a young German Jew named Felix, her future husband. Tragically, the ship was destroyed by German mines killing 104 of the 400 passengers on board. Seriously injured, the couple spent more than six months in England recuperating before being returned to the Netherlands — just as Germany invaded.

As their family and friends began to disappear, Flory and Felix were forced underground. Their five-year ordeal was made bearable by the kindness and compassion of the families that risked their lives to shelter them. This incredible true story of survival poignantly illustrates how even in the history’s darkest hour, good people are willing to risk their own safety to save the lives of others. Combining the horrors of the Holocaust with a touching love story, Flory richly illustrates the strength of the human spirit.

About the author
Flory A. Van Beek emigrated to America in 1948 carrying a suitcase full of papers and photographs that she had buried while in hiding during the German occupation. The material now forms one of the largest collections from the Netherlands housed in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum of Washington, DC.

Hourglass imprint | C format | 208 pages | paperback

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