The Upstairs Room Quotes
"What I did try to write was a simple, human book, in which my sister and I suffered and complained, and sometimes found fault with the Gentile family that took us in for a few years, in which the members of that family were not heroes but people, with strengths and weaknesses."
"It had been horrible. People all over the world had suffered. This story tells of the sufferings of Jews in Holland."
"How could I ever find out anything if he never answered questions?"
"Why did Mother always have to have headaches?"
"But Germany wasn’t Holland. I frowned. Winterswijk was near the German border though, less than twenty minutes away. That’s how close it was."
"I was glad we lived right in Winterswijk, not so close to Germany that you could see it from your room."
"How long will that be? I asked. Can’t last more than a few days, Rachel answered."
"I don’t understand why they went, Father said."
"It was getting chilly. What time was it? Weren’t they getting worried at home? They used to in the old house."
"One day it did. Sini, come to the window. Tiny white snowflakes were whirling down."
"Would Rachel tell Mother we were in a good hotel, too? 'Sini, d’you think she has?'"
"The scenery outside was the same as that around Winterswijk—flat, meadows, cows."
"Maybe she was right. Her clothes were bigger; they’d need more space than mine."
"Unpacking didn’t take long, but it made us quarrel."
"Opoe, do you have a picture of the house? 'A what?' he said. 'Why would I want a picture of it? I can see it every day.'"
"What’s next? Crossing off days. What’s next?"
"He didn’t answer her. Opoe was staring at Sini’s skirt."
"I thought I’d darn these socks here, talk a little bit to you. Poor things, being inside all day."
"At my age? That doesn't make any sense. I've been chewing like this for a couple of years now. It'll be all right for as long as I'm going to be around."
"You wouldn't think food was rationed when you look at us."
"False teeth. Hendrik should know. Want to feel how hard my gums are? Just like teeth."
"I wish you could stay down here this afternoon. It sure would be nice."
"Tomorrow night we'll all go to sleep. Regardless."
"Boy, the Italians must be mad. Here Hitler talked them into coming into the war with'm, and all they've gotten out of it is a mess."
"I've got my doubts. The Russians are doing fine in Russia. I know. So are the Allies in North Africa."
"Maybe next year for your birthday, Ma, they can come from Winterswijk and spend the day with us."
"It's hard to tell, Opoe, with all those airplanes flying overhead at night. Maybe that's what Johan and Dientje have you mixed up with."
"All that smoke downstairs. Bah. Spectacle every year."
"Who did this? What an awful thing to do. In all my life I haven't been this mad."
"Boy, o boy, you don't look it, with those light clothes."
"But what was there to say? I didn't even know her."
"With a bent head I shuffled over to the corner by the door. I sat down with my back to them. I started to cry."
"Stop it, Johan. You sound like a dumb farmer."
"I want to be sure I can say it right. I’m sick of my own tobacco."
"Exercise. Energetically I got off the chair. C’mon legs, a little higher. Ow. So they hurt, but it’s good for you."
"It looks so beautiful outside, Johan. Please?"
"You got me to say yes when you wanted Rachel here, but this time I’m not going to be such a sucker."
"Just for a tan, Opoe said. No, that I can’t see."
"Good for them to have to get out of the way for me."
"We lay down on our backs, to get our faces tanned."
"The sky was so blue. And not one cloud. Wasn’t it nice to be out?"
"The Germans found ’em. They took everybody in the house away on the truck."
"It was very late and very dark when Mr. Hannink came again to the house."
"What a terrible thing, not to be able to move."
"Hello, too. I don’t have to fix the scarf anymore. Hello."
"Hello, hello. I love you. Sounds funny, but I mean it. All of you."