The Sisters of Auschwitz tells the powerful true story of Janny and Lien Brilleslijper, two Jewish sisters from Amsterdam who joined the Dutch Resistance during the Second World War. As Nazi persecution spread across the Netherlands, they chose to fight back, risking their lives to protect others.
The sisters created a clandestine safehouse in the woods known as The High Nest. There, they sheltered Jewish families, resistance fighters, and artists targeted by the Nazis. The house became both a refuge from terror and a quiet hub of underground activity, where culture and courage helped sustain hope.
When The High Nest is betrayed, Janny and Lien are deported with their family on one of the last transports to Auschwitz, sharing the journey with Anne Frank and her sister Margot. In the camps, they confront unimaginable brutality, holding on to their humanity through their resilience and their devotion to each other.
Based on extensive research and access to the Brilleslijper family’s own memoirs and photographs, this book offers an intimate portrait of resistance, survival, and moral bravery in the heart of Nazi-occupied Europe.
Key themes
- Dutch Resistance and underground networks
- Jewish safehouses and hidden lives in wartime Holland
- Life and survival in Auschwitz during the Holocaust
- Family loyalty, courage, and the cost of defiance
