Geertrui
- On a Sunday in September in 1944, British soldiers parachute from the sky into Oosterbeek, Amsterdam. Geertrui and her parents watch as they arrive, sure that this means liberation from the Germans at last.
- The word spreads pretty quickly that this is what the British are here for, and Geertrui and her family are—of course—excited by the idea. She's just had her nineteenth birthday and her brother Henk and his buddy Dirk are off hiding at Dirk's parents' farm so they don't get sent off to a German labor camp.
- As Geertrui and her parents await any news—hopefully of freedom—two British officers are outside their door talking to one another. Geertrui and her dad have been studying English so they can talk to the soldiers, but they haven't got it perfect yet.
- Just then, Geertrui hears one of the officers say he's really thirsty in English and she understands him. She runs to the kitchen and grabs some water to give them, and then opens the door. The men are just as surprised to see her there as she was to understand what they said, but they are super grateful for the water all the same.
- Introductions all around. Geertrui and her folks meet Max Cordwell and Jacob Todd, the soldiers. Jacob calls her his "angel of mercy" for bringing him water and then asks her to go back inside—it's still dangerous outside.
- After the soldiers leave, Geertrui, her mom, and dad all twirl around with excitement, saying vrij, which means free.
- But over the next couple days, the hope and excitement of the soldiers' arrival fades; there's lots of fighting noises and bullets all around.
- Just then, two soldiers hobble inside Geertrui's home carrying a very badly wounded soldier with them—right away, Geertrui's mom springs into action, getting disinfectant and supplies to help the soldier's wounds.
- Geertrui's seen wounded soldiers before, but never this up-close, and never in their own home. As her mom works to help the guy, she tells his buddies that he needs surgery now—the only problem is that the other soldiers can't leave their post to take him.
- Geertrui's dad offers, but this is definitely a two-man job. When Geertrui volunteers, her dad flat-out refuses to hear it—it's way too dangerous.
- But Geertrui's mom goes to bat on her behalf, until eventually Geertrui's dad gives in; he and Geertrui head out together, pushing the wounded soldier in a trolley to get him to the medic safely.
- There's commotion everywhere. Geertrui hears fighting and smells gunfire, but she and her dad keep pushing this guy to safely. Once they get back home, her mom makes potatoes and cold pork for the two remaining soldiers: Ron and Norman.
- They are upstairs keeping watch, and they all decide to go in shifts so the soldiers can get a bit of shut-eye.
- The fighting continues, and it gets much worse. Geertrui's pad becomes a hiding-place-turned-medic for the soldiers, and she works with her parents to help anyone they can. Sure, they don't have surgical supplies, but they can wash the debris out of a wound or redress it; besides, a lot of these guys just need some mothering and love.
- Her mom points out to her that now they know what war means. And it ain't pretty.