A summary from Monash University describes the book The Children’s House of Belsen in more detail. Here is a condensed version.

The Children’s House of Belsen is Hetty Verolme’s autobiographical account of her experiences during her imprisonment at the Bergen-Belsen Concentration camp from 1943 to liberation in 1945.

Verolme, as one of the older children, quickly established herself as a surrogate mother to the captive children, putting the needs of the children before her own. She describes in beautiful detail her affection for the children, her love for Sister Luba (one of several minders of the children), and the way that she attempts to ease the discomfort of the children in their appalling environment.

The Children’s House of Belsen is written in an accessible, yet powerful style and does not set out to shock the reader, as the tale itself is shocking enough. Verolme presents herself as a simple girl with simple morals and the courage to practise them. Verolme provides descriptions of the places and people she encounters during the Holocaust, from her surroundings at Belsen to the hospital the children are transferred to after liberation. The Children’s House of Belsen is first and foremost an account of survival and strength; of how even children can survive one of the worst atrocities the world has ever known.