REVIEW: Seducing and Killing Nazis

Seducing and Killing Nazis
Author: Sophie Poldermans

Hannie, Truus and Freddie were just teenagers when the Germans invaded the Netherlands during World War II. They joined the resistance and spent the war targeting German officers and those who turned resistance fighters into the German police. They also blew up bridges, passed information to the allies and did whatever they could to fight the German occupation of the Netherlands. One of them was executed by Germans after being captured. The other two survived but suffered from PTSD, depression and other war related ailments for the rest of their lives.

This book outlines what these girls did for the resistance, retaliations by German forces and some of the events that occurred in the Netherlands during the occupation. I found the facts and photographs compelling, but horrifying. I have a 15 year old son at home. I can't imagine children his age being recruited to kill people, being forced to hide from authorities, and being under threat of execution if captured. It makes me have a high level of respect and pride in these girls and what they did. They did not kill German officers and others with no care....what they had to do during the war had an effect on them until their deaths. When I was 14, my biggest worry was running out of hairspray or getting a flat tire on the way to work. These girls faced arrest, starvation, being sent out to shoot people, planting bombs on bridges or in buildings, and the daily atrocities committed by German troops occupying their homeland. I can't even imagine it...  But, part of the reason why I (and millions of others) can't imagine living like that is because of the strength and bravery shown by thousands of people like these three teenage girls during World War II.

Great book! I did not know about these three girls before I read this book. I'm going to read more on the resistance fighters in the Netherlands. It's a portion of World War II history that I don't know very much about. I would definitely read more by this author. She obviously did a lot of research for this book, and her sources are well documented.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from SWW Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**