The Untold Story of Her Silent Protector
March 13, 2023
Journalist De Bruyn and retired marketing manager Wijk-Voskuijl deliver a poignant portrait of the latter’s mother, Elizabeth “Bep” Voskuijl, an employee of Otto Frank’s who helped hide the Frank family in Amsterdam. Seeking to help solve the mystery of who betrayed the Franks to the Gestapo, Wijk-Voskuijl recounts his mother’s struggles during his childhood, including an attempted suicide. “If my mother just started thinking about the Secret Annex,” he writes, “she would get migraines, slip into a depression and spend much of the next day in bed.” Wijk-Voskuijl also notes that unlike Miep Gies, Bep’s colleague and fellow member of the Opetka Circle that hid the Franks, his mother avoided all recognition for her efforts in retrieving Anne’s diary from the annex. Though the authors uncover evidence that Bep’s sister, Nelly, collaborated with the Nazis, and describe numerous instances in which Bep sought to hide or destroy material from that period in her life (most tantalizingly, she instructed another of her sons to burn dozens of letters after her death; he did so, before reading them), the theory that Bep’s depression was caused by guilt over betraying the Franks isn’t definitively proven. Still, this is an anguished investigation into one of the Holocaust’s enduring mysteries.
June 10, 2024
Anne Frank is considered by many to be "the most identifiable victim of the Holocaust," yet few are familiar with the story from outside the Annex door. Journalist De Bruyn's obsessive investigation into those who hid the Annex's residents began when he was only 15. His inquiries eventually led to Joop van Wijk-Voskuijl. Joop's mother, Bep Voskuijl, was the youngest helper and formed a close friendship with Frank. Her own father built the bookcase that shielded their secret for over two years. Together, van Wijk-Voskuijl and De Bruyn craft a compelling account of how the helpers' involvement shaped their postwar lives. Though Frank shared so much in her diary, the secret remains about who betrayed the Annex's eight residents. The authors expose one possible answer that, for van Wijk-Voskuijl, hits quite close to home. Narrator Jacques Roy gives a simple, straightforward performance, letting the captivating and candid story take center stage. From early efforts to save the Frank family, to the explosions of the blitzkrieg, Roy's delivery evokes tension and tragedy. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking heartfelt historical biography and Holocaust writing. Recommended for fans of Jonathan Freedland and Diane Ackerman.--Lauren Hackert
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