They were ordinary people in extraordinary times.

This deeply moving book interweaves the diaries of seven people in the Netherlands to offer a startling tableau of daily life during the Second World War – encompassing those who were persecuted and those who policed, enforcing Nazi rule.

Anne Frank was not the only one listening when, in 1944, the Dutch Minister of Education spoke over the radio, urging people to preserve their diaries and letters.

This very moving book will follow ordinary people to give a powerful, authentic vision of life during the war, from daily events through Nazi occupation and the shocking deportation of 80% of Holland’s Jewish population – by far the largest from any Western European country.

Through intertwined narratives, we will encounter a range of experiences: the victims, the perpetrators, the bystanders, the resisters, the ordinary folks just trying to get by.