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The Upstairs Room
by Reiss, Johanna
Johanna Reiss recounts her own childhood spent in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The story begins as her family is forced to scatter, leading Johanna and her older sister, Sini, into the cramped, stifling attic of a farmhouse belonging to a family of strangers. Because the space is so small and the danger outside so constant, the narrative feels incredibly intimate and claustrophobic. You are trapped right there in the dark with them, experiencing the boredom, the terror, and the strange, quiet moments of sisterly friction that persist even under the shadow of war. It is a coming-of-age story stripped of all typical milestones, replaced by the singular, desperate goal of survival. This book is for readers who appreciate historical narratives that prioritize the internal, emotional lives of young people over battlefield logistics.
10 Books similar to 'The Upstairs Room'
Since The Upstairs Room excels at capturing the claustrophobia and resilience of children living through impossible circumstances, we curated this list to explore those same themes of isolation and sisterhood. These stories move beyond the front lines to focus on the human cost of war, highlighting the quiet bravery required to survive when you have no control over your environment. Whether you are looking for more firsthand accounts of hiding or fictional stories that mirror that specific, forced maturity, these books capture the fragility of childhood when it is suddenly upended by global catastrophe.
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by Anne Frank
As the definitive companion to The Upstairs Room, this memoir offers a parallel perspective on the terror and confinement of hiding from the Nazis in the Netherlands. Readers will find the same poignant, intimate voice capturing the loss of innocence during an unimaginable historical tragedy.
by Lois Lowry
This novel mirrors the Dutch setting of Reiss's work, focusing on a young girl's bravery in helping a Jewish friend escape the Nazis. It shares the same accessible, child-centered narrative voice that makes historical atrocities understandable yet deeply moving.
by Judith Kerr
Like The Upstairs Room, this story is based on the author's own childhood experiences of fleeing Nazi Germany. It captures the confusion and resilience of a child forced to leave everything behind, maintaining a tone that is both serious and deeply human.
by Anne Holm
This powerful story of a young boy escaping a concentration camp and traveling across Europe shares the themes of survival and the loss of childhood autonomy found in Reiss's work. It is a harrowing yet hopeful look at the endurance of the human spirit.
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Set in the Warsaw Ghetto, this book provides a stark, visceral look at the Holocaust through the eyes of a young boy who struggles to understand the world around him. It matches the claustrophobic atmosphere and the desperate need for connection present in The Upstairs Room.
While set in England rather than the Netherlands, this novel captures the feeling of being trapped in an unfamiliar environment and the complex relationship between siblings. It features a strong, resilient protagonist navigating a world turned upside down by war.
by Marcel Prins and Peter Henk Steenhuis
This collection of true stories from fourteen people who hid from the Nazis provides a broader context for the experience described in The Upstairs Room. It is a deeply reflective and informative read that honors the bravery of those who lived in the shadows.
This picture book for older readers offers a haunting, atmospheric look at a young girl who discovers a concentration camp near her town. Its focus on the quiet, observational power of a child witnessing evil parallels the perspective of the sisters in Reiss's memoir.
This novel charts the decline of a Jewish family in Nazi Germany through the eyes of their non-Jewish neighbor. It captures the slow, insidious nature of prejudice and the heartbreaking loss of a childhood friend, resonating with the themes of friendship and betrayal in Reiss's work.
For readers who want to understand the Dutch resistance and the reality of hiding Jews during the war, this is an essential, albeit more adult-oriented, account. It shares the same setting and the moral imperative of protecting those in danger that drives the narrative of The Upstairs Room.
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As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.