The Quest for Freedom: A Story of Belgian Resistance in World War II [Paperback]

Yvonne de Ridder Files (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

This is the story of a true hero of WWII, a young woman who risked her life fighting the Nazis during the entire war. She was extensively involved in both sabotage and espionage, and later in the sheltering and movement of allied airmen. She was betrayed, tortured, and when she refused to divulge any information she was sentenced to be hanged; but she was saved by the liberation of Antwerp on September 4th, 1944. For the actions she describes in this book, she was later awarded a certificate of merit by General Eisenhower.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A young secretary in occupied Antwerp during WW II, Files didn't even inform her father (who was also her boss) when she joined the Belgian Resistance. A staunch patriot, Files assembled bombs in her living room, hid downed Allied airmen, and slipped propaganda into the letterboxes of buildings that housed the German invaders. Arrested and imprisoned, she bravely survived whipping and interrogation at the hands of the Nazis before she was freed upon the liberation of Belgium. Files offers dramatic details of daily life (e.g., sugar, a rationed food item, was an ingredient in incendiary bombs), but her account is too personal to tell a broad story of the Resistance, much less to put into perspective the tensions within occupied Belgium. Though heartfelt, the book is burdened with breathless writing, dotted with exclamation points and cliches. Files, who moved to the U.S. after the war, relates in the last chapter how, on the television show This Is Your Life in 1955, she was reunited with some fliers she had aided. The book may find an audience among WW II buffs. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In the crowded field of World War II memoirs, details of involvement with resistance movements are popular. In fact, one begins to find, as the occupied countries did after the war, that everyone was in the resistance. That makes this immensely readable book about the truly heroic exploits of Files of Antwerp all the more refreshing. Recipient of numerous commendations, she helped downed fliers and other refugees and aided sabotage efforts. Captured near the end of the war, she fortunately survived until the Allies arrived. Although Files is sometimes cryptic to the point of confusion about her private life, her exciting resistance involvement is detailed in a suspenseful style. Recommended for most libraries.
- Pat Ensor, Indiana State Univ. Lib., Terre Haute
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: The Narrative Press (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589761286
• ISBN-13: 978-1589761285
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent account of Belgian resistance, a must have!, March 3, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (NC - USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest for Freedom: Belgian Resistance in World War II (Paperback)

This is an easy and well written book and first hand biography by a couragious woman, resistance fighter in Belgium during World War II. I am glad to have found this work and finally have been able to read about the Belgian resistance. The simplicity of the biography is what makes it so interesting. The work is filled with small and valuable details. I wish that other Belgians would have found the courage to publish their wartime experiences. Thank you Yvonne de Ridder

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Belgian Heroine, December 21, 2001

By 

Noel Molloy (Werribee, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest for Freedom: Belgian Resistance in World War II (Paperback)

Easy to read story of the little known Belgian resistance in ww2. Real life stories can be amazing, and fill you full of envy, delight, fear. However, this book is so understated that although the writer did some courageous and amazing things, risking her life daily, she does not portray this, and leaves the reader dissatisfied. Sometimes modesty is not such a virtue.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Quest for Freedom: A Story of Belgian Resistance in World War II, August 21, 2008

By 

Joni Osburn "Joni Osburn" (Moreno Valley, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Quest for Freedom: A Story of Belgian Resistance in World War II (Paperback)

I met Yvonne deridder deFiles while my kids were in middle school. She came to the school on an invitation to excite kids that had difficulty in school. She was a jewel. I was given a signed copy of her book as a gift, after talking to the kids and was invited to a private conversation with the author, teacher and myself about the time she was in the resistance and in prison. She was a strong, funny, intelligent woman I was honored to have met and if time would have permitted I would have spent more time with her. The book was very interesting. A little above the middle school age but I found it interesting especially after meeting the author. If you are interested in WWII a must read.