By I. Caroline Crocker
The Truth Was Different
One Woman’s Journey Through Occupied Holland
To be published November 16, 2026
How can we judge another’s choices if we don’t know the circumstances in which they were made?
Cover art: Girl in Blue by Maximilian Alexander Alandt, a portrait of Marie Johanna Bennink (Rita) at 17 years old.
Publication date: November 16, 2026
Estimated page count: 433, including photographs, glossary, and appendix
Genre: Historical biography; narrative nonfiction
ISBN 978-1-957970-34-9 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-957970-33-2 (hardcover)
Why The Truth Was Different Matters
About the Book
Every person must live with themselves. Most believe they are rational, and their actions are justified. Rita was no different. Some judged her harshly, seeing only a cold-hearted and cruel woman. But in The Truth Was Different: One Woman’s Journey Through Occupied Holland, Rita speaks for herself, revealing the reasons behind her impossible choices without omitting the painful, embarrassing, and even illegal details. What emerges is a haunting story of heartbreak, moral compromise, and long-hidden realities that will linger in readers’ minds long after the final page.
How I Know
This extensively researched and deeply personal historical biography comes from information gleaned through years of meticulous research. First, Rita wrote five now-out-of-print books in which she detailed and explained some of her actions. More of her true story was pieced together through interviews with her Jewish-heritage relatives, reading what her brother wrote, help from an awesome genealogist, a trip to the places where Rita lived and worked, much time spent on MyHeritage.com, and enough poring over newspaper articles, court records, and other primary sources to make me cross-eyed!
My Journey
I tend to write and research simultaneously. For this book, where additional stunning information kept coming to my attention, that meant I had to rewrite again and again—for years. Totally engrossed doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt while on this journey of discovery! How in the world could this person have betrayed that one? Did this other individual really ally themselves with Nazis? Seriously? Why was that person spared? Who went to jail and why? That revelation blew my mind!
The Significance
Because historical truth is important to me, as is understanding the ‘why,’ I persisted until I was satisfied that this story was as accurate as I could make it. Along the way, I came to appreciate that the reasons for decisions and actions that change lives may not be obvious and can be very complex.
Perhaps that is one of the enduring lessons of history. Especially in today’s deeply divided world, we would be wise to seek the facts and understand the context before passing judgment.
About Rita, the subject of this book
Marie Johanna Ouwerkerk-Evenblij-Wallig
Author
Rita, pen name Marianne Benninck is the author of five now out-of-print books. All were written in Dutch and published either by Kruseman or Leopold between 1962 and 1971. De Werkelijkheid Was Anders is Rita’s memoir, a work of self-declared nonfiction, even though the names have been changed. In it, Rita recounted her experiences during World War II. De Gesloten Deur contains many scenes drawn directly from Rita’s childhood. Zij, Overspel, and De Sterkste en Andere Verhalen are more fictional but also contain nuggets that reveal Rita’s experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Career
Being highly organized, Rita worked as an administrative assistant, known in her day as a secretary, for most of her life. However, after the war, she began working for the government in bringing reparations to Jews.
Family
Rita married Frederik Evenblij in 1931. The couple had two sons: Frits in 1933 and Jan in 1935. After Frederik passed away in 1942, Rita dated someone whose name I’ve been unable to ascertain. He was executed in 1945. She then married Jacobus Ouwerkerk. In the end, Rita had five grandchildren through Frits and two through Jan.
About the Author
Dr. I. Caroline Crocker
Author
Dr. I. Caroline Crocker is the author or coauthor of sixteen books spanning several genres. Although they cover a variety of subjects, they share a common thread: they are true, even though some read like fiction. Her award-winning World War II books include Unforgivable: Through a Child’s Eyes and Brave Face: The Inspiring WWII Memoir of a Dutch/German Child. She is also the author of The Truth Was Different: One Woman’s Journey Through Occupied Holland. Additional books planned for this series are Seven Miracles: The True Story of an Auschwitz Survivor and Ordinary Courage: An Ordinary Couple’s Journey Through Extraordinary Times.
Scientist
Trained as a biologist, Caroline has worked as a research scientist, university professor, scientific writer, entrepreneur, and communications specialist. During her diverse career, she conducted research in asthma and cancer, tutored medical students, served as the chief executive officer of a technology startup, and led a nonprofit organization advocating for integrity in science.
Family
She is married to Richard and has four grown children and nine grandchildren. More importantly for this book, however, Caroline is Rita’s eldest granddaughter. Over many years, she drew upon Rita’s own writings, family records, interviews, and extensive historical research to tell this remarkable story as faithfully and accurately as possible.
The Research
Archives
Professional genealogist and distant cousin Rosita Olivier searched the various archives in The Hague for information about Rita and her relatives. There, she discovered where they lived and what jobs they had; that one person was arrested for being an NSB member, who betrayed whom, and much more.
Family Papers
My first cousin once removed, Irma O’Connor Wallig, spearheaded efforts to provide me with copies of stories, poems, and other documents her sisters and nieces possess. My favorite was a letter from the famous Willy Corsari to Irma. My parents, Frits and Meta Evenbly, also had several pertinent documents.
Interviews
Both of Rita’s daughters-in-law, Hetti Evenblij and Meta Evenbly, provided me with valuable information. Natascha and Irma, Hans Wallig’s daughters, gave me more insight into who Rita and Hans were and what they did.
Photographs
The photographs in the book came from albums owned by Irma O’Connor Wallig, my uncle Jan Evenblij, Frits Evenbly, and Rosita Olivier’s family. Others were found online through MyHeritage.com and other websites. Finally, some of the photos are in the Jewish Museum in Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum.
Historians
As part of the Stolpersteine placement in Bussum and Driebergen, historians researched family members, and I was able to access their work. In addition, I conducted much online research to understand wartime events during Rita’s lifetime, including but not limited to Dolle Dinsdag, the Hunger Winter, and the bombing of the Bezuidenhout. Finally, historian Ad van Liempt reviewed the book to make sure it was accurate.
Newspapers
Through perusal of various archives and searching for documents referenced at MyHeritage.com, it was possible to find the article that spoke about why Frederik’s father lost his job, advertisements and posters regarding Henri’s various shows, engagement, marriage, and death announcements, and even a photograph of Henri’s second wife, Liddy.
Early Praise for
The Truth Was Different
I read it with great interest. It is a remarkably engaging and gripping story, full of improbable twists – as are so many histories from the time of the German occupation of the Netherlands.
English is not my first language, so I am somewhat hesitant to judge the book’s literary qualities, but I found it pleasant to read and easy to follow. Personally, I did have some difficulty with the giant strides with which the post-war period is treated – it felt like something of a break with the precise and detailed descriptions of the war years themselves.
I admire the way the historical context of the occupation period is described. I found hardly any errors or slips in it – a great compliment.
“The Truth Was Different is the accessibly written story of the impossible situation in which a brave woman found herself in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands.”
The Truth Was Different offers a compelling example of how extreme circumstances shape both character and behavior. Through Rita’s life in the occupied Netherlands, Caroline Crocker reveals that history is not only about what happened to people, but, more importantly, about who they became because of it.
The book evokes sadness, compassion, frustration, and hope as readers struggle with Rita’s choices while gradually understanding the experiences that shaped them. It avoids easy judgments and invites readers to hold personal responsibility and human compassion together. Trauma does not merely produce symptoms. It can become woven into identity, changing how people understand themselves, relate to others, and give or receive love.
I recommend The Truth Was Different to readers interested in World War II history, trauma, resilience, complex family relationships, and generational patterns. It will be particularly valuable for book clubs, faith communities, clinicians, educators, and families seeking a deeper understanding of identity, responsibility, forgiveness, and healing.
Caroline Crocker’s book The Truth Was Different is an astonishing testimony to the perseverance of a family that was battered by the horrors of antisemitism, extreme poverty, and the chaos of that era in our history, and yet survived the nightmare of Nazism and brutal warfare. It is hard to read because we would all prefer to live in a world that looks more like The Peaceable Kingdom than the reality of our battered and broken world.
Caroline’s amazingly detailed research allows her many characters, and there are lots of them, to live and challenge us with the cruel battles that they each encountered. Reading about them reminded me of that famous quote, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
Caroline’s determination to understand her own family history, and especially to honor her grandmother Rita, is most commendable. She gives all of us a powerful glimpse of the human spirit that will not be quenched by cruelty and conflict. The book is a masterpiece and deserves wide attention.