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Fascinating, historically valuable, and touching diary kept by a young woman (apparently a teenager at the start) in Holland during World War II and the German occupation. It is entirely in English, and is possibly a copy of the original diary (a translation if the original was kept in Dutch), though the pens used vary, as does the handwriting to an extent (though obviously in one hand), and it seems quite likely that this is the original, and Sia Gruteke kept it in English - she taught English, and was also in correspondence with her cousin in Canada. She may have written the diary with the intent of informing her cousin of the shattering events of the war – certain passages are targeted to her unnamed correspondent. The diary is accompanied by a real-photo postcard of Sia and her family (“except for Dad for he made the picture”), and a photograph of Sia, both with descriptions by her on the reverse, which match the handwriting in the diary. The diary begins at “Haarlem, Friday, 10th of May 1940. 6 o’clock in the morning. This morning I awoke at 5 o’clock…startled by many unusual sounds. The first thing I distinguished was a voice from the loudspeaker… `Hallo, a dozen foreign aeroplanes noticed near…(some town)…flying west.’” Early word on resisting the Germans was optimistic, later that day at “half past 6: Message from our Queen: The first attack of the Germans has been completely repulsed…” On May 19, things are not so rosy, “…The Germans say Zeeland surrendered yesterday. The Germans say they occupied Antwerp and marched into Brussels. The Germans say they broke through the Maginot line. I don’t know if all this is true. But most of us believe it…” In June of 1942 the occupation is in full swing – “…Mother has gone out to try if she can get vegetables… From my window I can see the women waiting in a thick row before the greengrocers. Yesterday mother went to seven different shops, only to return with one cucumber! June in Holland and no vegetables! Ever heard of anything so absurd? This cannot last much longer. And when hearing of this terrific bombing of Cologne one wonders is this can still go on for some time. Yet I cannot be so enthusiastic about it. So many innocent citizens, men, women and children will have been killed… On the other hand I was glad to hear about the attempted murder of Heidrich [sic] at Prague. Serves him right for all his cruelties. We are all sure that it was he who ordered so many Dutch prisoners to be executed and captured such a great number of hostages and sent our officers to Germany. So many of our men and boys are working in Germany now…” On Sept. 1, 1944 she writes, “Last month I went home on holidays and left this writing book here. But what a lot of things have happened in the meantime. The allied forces invaded and overran France, may enter Belgium any moment and are barely a hundred miles from our frontier. We feel liberation coming nearer quickly and we look forward to it with hope and fear at the same time…” A truly remarkable diary, revealing much of the occupation of the Netherlands during World War II through the eyes of a young woman. This diary was purchased by the current owners at an estate sale in Canada.