Jaap’s Silence – on war and the quiet after coming home
Jaap is a hard worker. When he’s at home, he prefers to hide behind his newspaper. From behind that paper he comments on the world - and on his family. Beyond that he remains silent, and no one really knows why. Until his granddaughter pushes the newspaper aside and asks if she may interview him. About the war.
Eventually, Jaap begins to talk. About the Second World War, Kamp Amersfoort (a former concentration camp), the Arbeitseinsatz on the Russian front, and the harsh journey back home. The fact that his granddaughter wants to hear his story triggers reliving, nightmares, but ultimately also a sense of recognition.
The character of Jaap is based on the author’s father‑in‑law. He endured traumatic experiences but spoke of them only rarely. His decades of silence fascinated Monique. Using fragments of information, she created an initial reconstruction, which she supplemented with research in newspapers and with stories from fellow survivors found in letters and books. By comparing dates, facts, and memories, she pieced together what her father‑in‑law’s story míght have been.
What fascinates Monique is that this story - like stories in general - emerges from different layers of reality: original documents, news reports, memories, and family narratives. All these realities shape and distort our image of that story and of our past.
The book (in Dutch: Het zwijgen van Jaap) is published by Oogachtend:
https://www.oogachtend.be/shop/9789493468085-het-zwijgen-van-jaap-224255
