Invisible Years: A Family’s Collected Account of Separation and Survival during the Holocaust in the Netherlands by Daphne Geismar is an intimate portrait of an extended Jewish family living in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands who, when faced with imminent deportation, refused to comply. As the Nazis tightened their grip on the Jewish population, Geismar’s family was slowly restricted from public life. Sensing the murderous consequences of deportation, they decided to separate and go into hiding. 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.
A special book launch event with Geismar in conversation with Robert Jan van Pelt was held virtually on May 4, 2020. Watch the program below.