Books like De aanslag by Harry Mulisch

Set against the bleak backdrop of the final winter of World War II in occupied Holland, the novel follows the aftermath of an assassination that turns the lives of ordinary people upside down. When a notorious Nazi collaborator is murdered on a bicycle, the German occupiers retaliate by burning down an innocent family's home, leaving only a twelve‑year‑old boy named Anton as a survivor. Anton seeks to rebuild a quiet, ordinary life—marriage, career, routine—yet memories of that tragic night and encounters with those connected to the killing keep resurfacing. The story explores how trauma erodes apathy and forces a young man to confront the truth he has long avoided. Through Anton’s reluctant journey, the book examines the complexities of guilt, collaboration, resistance, and the lingering effects of war on personal identity and moral choices.

First publish date: 1982