Three Ordinary Girls: The Remarkable Story of Three Dutch Teenagers Who Became Spies, Saboteurs, Nazi Assassins–and WWII Heroes

Tim Brady

Feb 2021 · Citadel Press

About this ebook

“The book's teenage protagonists and their bravery will enthrall young adults, who may find themselves inspired to take up their own causes.” —Washington Post

An astonishing World War II story of a trio of fearless female resisters whose youth and innocence belied their extraordinary daring in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. It also made them the underground’s most invaluable commodity.

May 10, 1940. The Netherlands was swarming with Third Reich troops. In seven days it’s entirely occupied by Nazi Germany. Joining a small resistance cell in the Dutch city of Haarlem were three teenage girls: Hannie Schaft, and sisters Truus and Freddie Oversteegen who would soon band together to form a singular female underground squad.

Smart, fiercely political, devoted solely to the cause, and “with nothing to lose but their own lives,” Hannie, Truus, and Freddie took terrifying direct action against Nazi targets. That included sheltering fleeing Jews, political dissidents, and Dutch resisters. They sabotaged bridges and railways, and donned disguises to lead children from probable internment in concentration camps to safehouses. They covertly transported weapons and set military facilities ablaze. And they carried out the assassinations of German soldiers and traitors–on public streets and in private traps–with the courage of veteran guerilla fighters and the cunning of seasoned spies.

In telling this true story through the lens of a fearlessly unique trio of freedom fighters, Tim Brady offers a fascinating perspective of the Dutch resistance during the war. Of lives under threat; of how these courageous young women became involved in the underground; and of how their dedication evolved into dangerous, life-threatening missions on behalf of Dutch patriots–regardless of the consequences.

Harrowing, emotional, and unforgettable, Three Ordinary Girls finally moves these three icons of resistance into the deserved forefront of world history.
 

Ratings and reviews

politics,Netherlands, socialism, fascists, resistance-efforts, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, sabotage, nonfiction,***** The events and people in this book are real. It's a bit Publish or Perish in much of the detailing, but it also makes the horrible real. The girls were socialists against fascists and the Gestapo were all about removing people and supplies for the good of the Third Reich. Scary stuff. Worse because it's real. I'm tempted to say too much, but that would only diminish the impact of this book. I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books/Citadel via NetGalley. Thank you!

great read.

About the author

Tim Brady is an award-winning author whose books—Twelve Desperate Miles, A Death in San Pietro, and His Father’s Son—have received wide critical acclaim. He has contributed to PBS history documentaries and has written frequently for the History Channel Magazine. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop.