The Children's House of Belsen cover art

The Children's House of Belsen

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Children's House of Belsen

By: Hetty E. Verolme
Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

Hetty’s family was torn apart following the German invasion of the Netherlands. Rounded up by the Nazis and then separated from their parents, Hetty and her brothers were sent to the Children’s House, within Belsen concentration camp. As one of the eldest, Hetty became the ‘Little Mother’, helping to care for not only her siblings, but the other children as well. In a direct and powerful style, Hetty recalls one of the remarkable, largely untold stories of the Holocaust – the extraordinary struggle and survival of this group of children through those terrible years.

©2000 © Hetty E Verolme, 2000, 2009. (P)2011 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Judaism

Critic Reviews

‘This is an important, moving and beautifully written book and deserves to become a classic.’ (Judges report, The Fellowship of Australian Writers Christina Stead Award)
‘Overpoweringly poignant.’ ( Jewish Chronicle)
All stars
Most relevant  
I loved hearing this story and cried as the author recounted life in the concentration camps. I briefly met the author when I was a teenager (she was the aunt of my school friend) and hearing about her experience was extra special.

this book is very moving

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I have read Hettys story years ago many many times and being able to hear the story again has really made me happy. You don’t hear many good endings to Holocaust stories and this one always makes me feel how lucky I am and how special my life is. Thank you.

Hetty.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Beautifully told tragic story that is not sentimental instead is uplifting in its honesty.

What did you like best about this story?

Not knowing what would happen next. I had the feeling that I was with the children, the writing was so engaging that, although I knew the history of Belsen concentration camp, I had to know about the true experiences of these children.

What about Deidre Rubenstein’s performance did you like?

Deirdre has a wonderfully expressive voice that is perfect for this emotionally charged story. You both laugh and cry as Deirdre reads the story.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Loving and looking after others is the most important job you can do.

Any additional comments?

Anyone wanting a really mesmerising story should listen to this.

Heartbreaking, true story of courage and love

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.