Invisible Years

An intimate portrait of an extended Jewish family in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, who, when faced with imminent deportation and death, refused to comply.

As the Nazis tightened their grip on the Netherlands' Jewish population, Daphne Geismar's family was slowly restricted from public life--everything from owning a bike to having a job was forbidden. Sensing the murderous consequences of deportation, they decided to separate and go into hiding. Parents and children were torn apart, living for years in isolation behind a church organ, below floorboards, or even in plain sight. Through interwoven letters, diaries, and interviews, Geismar presents the story of nine family members--her parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles--in their own words, alongside a trove of photographs and artifacts. This family's detailed account of one of history's most horrific chapters challenges us to follow their example of resistance to inhumanity.