BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

In van Zanten’s historical novel, a Dutch police officer struggles with the moral dilemmas presented by Nazi occupation.

In 1940, Jacob Van Noorden is a 35-year-old father of two and the chief of police in Overdam in the Netherlands. When the German army invades, he is horrified by the brazen violation of the nonaggression pact the Netherlands maintains with Germany, but he is assured by a German officer that the Nazi presence won’t be burdensome and that Dutch Jews will remain unmolested. However, this turns out be a prevarication; the Nazis rule Overdam like despotic conquerors, appropriating whatever property they please and relentlessly propagandizing the population. Moreover, they zealously hunt for Jews and demand that the local police help round them up. Jacob resists these orders, but his superiors abdicate their authority: “The abandonment and the devious manipulations by his own command took his breath away.” When he hears rumors about what happens to the arrested Jews in places like Auschwitz, he despairs. However, as the title of this meticulously researched novel indicates, Jacob is presented only with miserable options, as a failure to collaborate could cost him the job he desperately needs or even his life. The depiction of the cultural and political predicament in the Netherlands is illuminating; while many bravely resisted the Nazi scourge, Dutch society was steeped in antisemitism, and many welcomed the Nazis with open arms. Jacob’s mother-in-law, Johanna, a German-born woman, admires Hitler, and his brother-in-law, Juergen, joins the Nazi Party. Van Zanten’s story is drawn from actual events—Jacob’s character is based on her own father, and a moving sense of personal authenticity is generated by the author’s connection to the plot as well as her deep knowledge of Dutch history and culture. The book runs a bit long—it approaches 500 pages—and the plot suffers from too many digressions and an occasionally laggard pace. The author’s writing style is anodyne, largely lacking poetic flair. Still, this is a fascinating and historically edifying novel.

A captivating look at the cultural divisions that existed in the Netherlands during World War II.