Flory

By: Flory A. Van Beek

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

Like Anne Frank, Flory Van Beek was a young girl caught in the ruthless Nazi occupation of Holland. But Flory survived to recount her extraordinary story of persecution and survival.

Flory and her husband, Felix, endured the sinking of a ship bound for safety in the New World, the increasing danger of the occupation, and finally a life in hiding. There, cut off from the outside world and their families, they faced the hunger and stress of daily life in confined quarters along with the ever-present threat of discovery and certain death.

This inspiring account vividly captures the terror of the Holocaust while telling a poignant story of love and courage.

©1998 Flory Van Beek (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"I have always believed in survivor's testimonies: they are unique. It is impossible to understand the Holocaust and its meaning without becoming acquainted with their experiences, which they alone can tell with true authority." (Elie Wiesel)

Inspiring Story

This is an autobiography or perhaps a better term is a memoir of the author's experiences hiding from the Nazis during WWII. The story is well written, clear and to the point. The narrator does an excellent job.

A glimmer of light in an otherwise tragic tale

As moving and gripping as earlier stories told of the WW2 holocaust. This harrowing tale tells the story of Holland and the personal stuggles of the people who barely managed to survive against the odds. A truely historic personal account of one girls triumph. Lest we forget!

brave people in terrible times

First things first: the narrator, so important to us all. Potter does a fine job. A few times I found her to act too much the part, to overdramatize, but all in all, well done.

The unadulterated evil of the German army hits one hard. I've read many books telling of their treatment of Jews during the war. This, like most of the ones I've read befor, is a gripping tale.

The heroics of some non-Jewish Dutch is a welcome offset to the actons of the the German occupiers.

A Gentle Telling of a Stark Tale

All survivors of genocide deserve to be heard, and Flory: A Miraculous Story of Survival is a book which holds the memories of a survivor. I finished this book thinking about how to review it. First, the reader is perfect for the book. "Flory" certainly isn't literature, it isn't even particularly good writing, but what it is, the telling of a story recreated from memory, diaries, newsclippings, and conversation, is worth reading. Before this book, I'd never thought of the people in the north of Holland during the occupation, but after reading it I definitely have a feel for what they went through. The characters presented are largely undeveloped, but the ugly story is told in a soft, tentative voice, and I was able to finish it and think about it because of the author's method of writing. I would recommend it to a reader seeking understanding of the human story.

Best way to learn history

I hated history in school but if I had had this book I think I could learn to love history. This was real life, in the raw and the people and their courage and their giving and their sorrows. I have listened to this book several times and have come away with a better awareness of today each time. I highly recommend it. I thank Flory for giving us her story.

Reflection: Education does not assure kindness

I'm stuck, same as the author, of how Germany's people could go along with such terrible crimes. The German people were top in many of their engineering and art fields. Education abounded. The lesson: no country or peoples are immune to committing atrocities on other peoples.

Wonderful

Very cativating and inspiring story. I have new respect for the Dutch patriots durring WWII as well as the resourcefulness that the Jewish people used to survive.

An Amazing Story, Adequately Told

The writing in this book is not polished, but the story is so amazing that I wish everyone could hear it. Flory and her family suffered and survived horrifying Nazi cruelty during WW2. Even at the worst of times, however, there were kind, decent, courageous people willing to help save the Nazis' prey. Many times in the book, members of the Dutch underground describe themselves and others simply as "good citizens". Unexpectedly, this story of cruelty and evil was also a story of strength, kindness and good.

geared toward young adult

Would you recommend Flory to your friends? Why or why not?

no see more comments

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

performance was choppy and no inflection in voice; in defense of reader however the story itself was written like an essay in high school what I did last summer. this was more like someone reading from trite entries in a diary.

Was Flory worth the listening time?

could not wait for it to end. I went on internet to see her story because this book was so dull and lifeless that I was not sure I would read the whole thing

Any additional comments?

more for a young adult audience, definitely hard to listen to and

Cautionary Tale

I wish more people would read these stories and see them as potential cautionary tales. Flory kept thinking “it won’t happen to us” but in no time her world was upside down.

It CAN happen to us… to me… to you. Institutionalized racism is insidious. What starts off as a guideline for the benefit of the community can quickly devolve into the worse case scenario (Charter of Values in Quebec anyone?)

Don’t think A won’t lead to B - it can. Craziness starts somewhere. Stories like Flory’s are proof.