Language read: Dutch.

Ik was Amerika (‘I was America’) touches on a forgotten part of World War 2 history. The allied forces captivated Nazis and deported them to the United States to work in camps. Gustaaf Peek (1975) brings us to the cotton fields in Texas, where the circumstances weren’t bad at all (as you might think otherwise) - after working in the fields, the prisoners of war enjoyed a good life, with sports, plays and even occasional parties with alcohol.

In these prison camps, unoccasional friendships occur. A collaborating Dutchman called Dirk Winter and a negro called Harris (who is hired by the land owners) come close and help each other out. Which is confusing: Harris is not an Übermensch and Dirk is a war criminal, isn’t he? This strange relationship raises fundamental questions. Are all of the former National-Socialists bad people? Or were many of them opportunists, who collaborated to save themselves, without wanting to harm other people directly? Does Dirk deserve to live in such freedom?

In Ik was Amerika, there are many changes in perspective and time, like the Dirk/Harris relationship (then and 30 years later), recollections during the war period, a very touching relationship between Harris and a woman called Miss Lilly (developing at an older age). This structure is demanding to the reader (which is, of course, a very good thing). Peek succeeds in bringing everything together in one melting pot of feelings, emotions and races.

This book is only published in Dutch so far, and was granted the annual BNG Nieuwe Literatuurprijs for young authors. Ik was Amerika is definitely in my Top-3 on Read 52 so far, because of the brilliant style and complex structure. It won’t take long to find this title in foreign bookstores.