Betsy van der Poel's book is a firsthand account of a family's dramatic escape. It begins in the vibrant, multicultural port city of Smyrna, where life is good. But as World War I rages and the Ottoman Empire collapses, rising tensions make it dangerous for the family to stay. They are forced to make a heartbreaking decision: leave their home, business, and community behind to seek safety.

The Story

The narrative follows their perilous journey step by step. We see them secure passage on a crowded ship, becoming refugees overnight. The voyage to Holland is long and fraught with uncertainty—they face cramped conditions, scarce supplies, and the constant anxiety of what awaits them. Upon arrival, they must build a new life from scratch in a country that is familiar yet foreign, grappling with loss while navigating the challenges of starting over during a global war.

Why You Should Read It

What makes this book so special is its intimate, ground-level perspective. This isn't a broad history of treaties and battles. It's about the price of sugar during the trip, the weight of a single suitcase, and the quiet ache for a lost home. Betsy's voice feels direct and honest, without melodrama. She shows the resilience of her family through small, everyday acts of courage. You get a real sense of how world events—things we read about in headlines—actually tear through individual lives, reshaping them completely. It’s a story about displacement that feels incredibly relevant, highlighting the universal struggle to preserve your past while forging a new future.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect pick for readers who love personal histories and memoirs that connect the big picture to the human heart. If you enjoyed books like The Glass Castle for their raw family portrait, or All the Light We Cannot See for its wartime intimacy, you'll be drawn into this true story. It’s also a great, accessible read for anyone curious about 20th-century history from a perspective we don't often hear. Ultimately, it's for anyone who believes that the most powerful stories are the true ones, told simply and from the heart.