CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Friday, 9 June 1944

Great news of the invasion! The Allies have taken Bayeux, a village on the coast of France. They’re now fighting for the town of Caen.

Tuesday, 13 June 1944

I’ve had another birthday, so now I’m fifteen. I had quite a few presents; among them were an art history book, some underwear, a handkerchief, a pot of jam, two small honey cakes, a book about plants from Mother and Father, sweets from Miep, and some lovely flowers from Peter.

The invasion is still going well, although the weather is terrible – heavy rain, strong winds and rough seas.

Peter loves me more each day, but something is holding us back, and I don’t know what it is. Sometimes I wonder if I wanted him too much; I think that perhaps it wasn’t real. But then if I can’t go up to his room for a day or two, I want him badly again. Peter is kind and good, but in some ways I’m not happy about him as a person. He doesn’t think much of God, for example, and I don’t like the way that he talks about food. And why doesn’t he let me come close to him, really close to the person deep inside him?

I haven’t been outside for so long that everything in the natural world seems wonderful to me now. I remember a time when I didn’t notice the blue sky, or the flowers, or hear the song of the birds. All that has changed. When I can, I try to watch the moon, or the dark, rainy sky through our windows. And when I look at the clouds, the moon and the stars, I really do feel calm and hopeful. It’s the best medicine, and I am stronger afterwards.

Unfortunately, I usually have to try and look through dusty curtains and very dirty windows.

Tuesday, 27 June 1944

The mood has changed, and everything outside is going very well. The Allies have won Cherbourg, Vitebsk and Zhlobin. In the three weeks since D-Day, there have been rain and storms every day, but the British and the Americans have fought hard.

How far do you think we’ll be on 27 July?