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Don't Say Anything to Anybody: A German World War II Girlhood
Countless World War II memoirs have been written, but few offer the German civilian perspective. Brigitte Z. Yearman’s evocative survival memoir provides that fresh voice. Young Brigitte knows nothing of the politics of war. All she knows is that the conflict has separated her from her family and taken her father away to fight. When her hometown becomes a bombing target, Brigitte is transported to the rural town of Seidel. Her foster family openly opposes the Nazi regime, but when the war ends, that isn’t enough to save them from new troubles brought by Allied troops. Russian soldiers and Polish settlers occupy Seidel, and Brigitte and her foster family are forced to leave. As refugees they embark on a harrowing life-or-death journey to safety in West Germany. Brigitte is determined to find and restore whatever is left of her biological family. That quest will forever change her understanding of home, peace, and personal identity. This tale of courage and compassion tells a poignant story about a resilient and resourceful girl coming of age during extremely troubled times. Along the way, she must learn to balance her longing for restoration with an acknowledgment that some wounds never heal.
304 pages, Paperback
Published June 15, 2017
18 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 30, 2017
Like many people, I have read numerous books on WWII. These books covered all matter of subjects, from specific battles to aircraft and ships, stories of American soldiers and officers, memoirs of specific people and of countries and nationalities. I believed I had experienced the war in as many aspects as were possible. I had not considered what might have happened to the German people after the war, and specifically, to their children.
When I was a child myself, my next-door neighbors were an older couple. She was an emigrant from Germany, and I wonder how closely her story may have compared with Ms. Yearman's (my neighbor as a young adult also worked in the same industry as young Brigitte, though I don't know much more of my neighbor's story). She also had a picture book I looked at a few times. It was hard for me to understand at that age, as one page would show a fantastic building and the next would feature a pile of rubble. Even when told that this was what happened during the war to buildings in Germany, my young brain could not comprehend exactly what I was seeing. Ms. Yearman’s story helped to remind me of those memories and bring them into perspective.
"Don't Say Anything to Anybody" is the tale of Brigitte Zobel (now Yearman), who found herself caught in the middle of a world war, later to suffer the life as a citizen of a country that lost that war. With most of the usual historical focus on the atrocities of WWII and what happened to the war's architects, this is an extraordinary glimpse into the life of a young German girl, and to see what happened through her eyes. It is amazing that Ms. Yearman is able to limit her memories to what she experienced as a young girl rather than color those experiences with the knowledge she has as an adult. This adds a certain poignancy to the book, and one can't help but become emotionally involved in the story.
Whether you are a student of WWII or simply enjoy reading memoirs of other people, this is a book you should not miss. Five stars.
My thanks to the authors for a complimentary copy of this book.
When I was a child myself, my next-door neighbors were an older couple. She was an emigrant from Germany, and I wonder how closely her story may have compared with Ms. Yearman's (my neighbor as a young adult also worked in the same industry as young Brigitte, though I don't know much more of my neighbor's story). She also had a picture book I looked at a few times. It was hard for me to understand at that age, as one page would show a fantastic building and the next would feature a pile of rubble. Even when told that this was what happened during the war to buildings in Germany, my young brain could not comprehend exactly what I was seeing. Ms. Yearman’s story helped to remind me of those memories and bring them into perspective.
"Don't Say Anything to Anybody" is the tale of Brigitte Zobel (now Yearman), who found herself caught in the middle of a world war, later to suffer the life as a citizen of a country that lost that war. With most of the usual historical focus on the atrocities of WWII and what happened to the war's architects, this is an extraordinary glimpse into the life of a young German girl, and to see what happened through her eyes. It is amazing that Ms. Yearman is able to limit her memories to what she experienced as a young girl rather than color those experiences with the knowledge she has as an adult. This adds a certain poignancy to the book, and one can't help but become emotionally involved in the story.
Whether you are a student of WWII or simply enjoy reading memoirs of other people, this is a book you should not miss. Five stars.
My thanks to the authors for a complimentary copy of this book.
March 11, 2018
I absolutely loved this book! The writing style is captivating. And the story is so unique for WWII. The main character is a German daughter of a German soldier. She's only six years old when the war starts and has to live with foster parents in the country to stay safe. She is never even aware of antisemitism, how the Jews were treated, or the holocaust until about ten years after the war when she is in her early twenties.
It's interesting hearing a story from another perspective, and how it effected her greatly. She saw death, cruelty, starvation. She lost friends and loved ones, was forced to move numerous times. Her family was ripped apart; she was never able to live with her two siblings and father under one rood though she worked desperately to make this dream a reality. She experienced abuse, rape, hate, and so much more.
**the book is mostly clean. There is rape but it's spoken of subtlety and not described. There is no language until the end of the book. I believe damn may have been used twice? Mentions people living together. It's not a Christian book, and the main character never says she's Christian though she joins the church and speaks of that. There is partying and excess living at the end. But again, the writer does well with all issues.
It's interesting hearing a story from another perspective, and how it effected her greatly. She saw death, cruelty, starvation. She lost friends and loved ones, was forced to move numerous times. Her family was ripped apart; she was never able to live with her two siblings and father under one rood though she worked desperately to make this dream a reality. She experienced abuse, rape, hate, and so much more.
**the book is mostly clean. There is rape but it's spoken of subtlety and not described. There is no language until the end of the book. I believe damn may have been used twice? Mentions people living together. It's not a Christian book, and the main character never says she's Christian though she joins the church and speaks of that. There is partying and excess living at the end. But again, the writer does well with all issues.
July 25, 2017
This is not normally a genre that I would read but I must say that I was captivated by the story and amazed at how Brigitte overcame so many adversities as a child. So often we only see war from the perspective of those fighting it. This book gives the perspective from those that we should all be paying attention to, those who have no ideology yet are in the midst of the horrors of war.
November 18, 2017
Fascinating
Amazing story of what one person went through during her childhood and young adulthood. The author's life was disrupted from age five when she was evacuated to the countryside from her home in Kiel. She was fostered by a loving caring family and evacuated with them as the war was ending and afterwards. She left them to move back to Kiel to her father hoping to build a life as a family. She came across as resourceful and as she said adventuresome which at times got her in trouble. I very much recommend this book if you are interested in World War 11 and its aftermath for German citizens.
Amazing story of what one person went through during her childhood and young adulthood. The author's life was disrupted from age five when she was evacuated to the countryside from her home in Kiel. She was fostered by a loving caring family and evacuated with them as the war was ending and afterwards. She left them to move back to Kiel to her father hoping to build a life as a family. She came across as resourceful and as she said adventuresome which at times got her in trouble. I very much recommend this book if you are interested in World War 11 and its aftermath for German citizens.
September 7, 2025
If you thought you could imagine what it was like for the civilians of Germany during World War II, you are most likely unimaginably wrong. Please read this book to take a heartfelt deep dive into what it was really like for the ordinary citizens living their lives as best they could during this upheaval in modern history. This young woman’s rich memory of particular details is a tight thread to the story of her tough upbringing because of not only the people in her life, but the world which affected everyone squeezing in around them all. You will learn and feel so much by going with Brigette down her memory lane, guided so skillfully by Anika Hanisch.
October 11, 2017
This is a must read book about the grit and intelligence of a very young German child's foster experience during WWII and Brigitte's poignant post-war refugee experience that lasted for many, many years. Brigitte's enduring quest for family and community along with her clever antics endear us to her resilient and playful spirit and leave us hopeful in the midst of our troubled world.
December 17, 2018
Wow.
So many times when you read or hear about the Holocaust it pertains to the horrible injustices forced up in the Jewish community. I was very pleased and grateful to read about the German survivors. Things are not always what they seem, there are many victims of war.
So many times when you read or hear about the Holocaust it pertains to the horrible injustices forced up in the Jewish community. I was very pleased and grateful to read about the German survivors. Things are not always what they seem, there are many victims of war.
June 13, 2021
This was my first introduction to the German refugee crisis that existed right after WW2 was over—especially for those simple people who lived on farms in the very rural areas that the Russians invaded. Told through the eyes of a young girl escaping the oncoming occupation and division of Germany by the Allies. Excellent work.
August 27, 2017
I've always been interested in learning about what happened during WW2 but never considered how the German people were treated afterward - the non-nazi's that is. This was quite a story of what they had to endure some not having any idea what was going on in their own country.
July 31, 2018
An Excellent Book
I could not put this book down for very long. I cannot imagine a young child going through all this heartache. This is a must read for everyone of all ages. Very well written.
I could not put this book down for very long. I cannot imagine a young child going through all this heartache. This is a must read for everyone of all ages. Very well written.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews