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ABOUT THE BLOG
Our blog is dedicated to connecting readers with enriching stories and author explorations - it's our family, but it could also be yours too. I've started with a ship. I'll muse on the art of letter-writing and the business of tulips. We'll also meet generations of Dutch bakers; the owner of a coffee-house who hosts the original co-op flower auctions; families experiencing wartime occupation; a paratrooper in the Dutch East Indies, and a migrant couple who end up in New Zealand.
Bio
Harriet Allan - mentor; formerly publisher Penguin Random House, Auckland
"Each figure you [choose] to hero is given their chance to shine... you make [family interactions] spark, cool, simmer and fester in multiple ways...revealing their complexity, never simplified or cliched.
Mary Montanus-Stijnman, Kortenhoef
Starting with a skeleton of facts, both genealogical and historical, Bernardine has succeeded in bringing our family history to life. Her perseverance and creativity has fleshed out the context, faces and personalities of past generations – on both sides of the family tree. It’s been a privilege to have been part of this monumental journey.
Josina Van Houtte (Stynman) Grey Lynn, Auckland
Beautifully imagined... I felt like I was immersed in the daily lives of the characters and shared in their joys and sorrows. A deep insight to the past. Highly engaging!
News & Events
Extract
It's 1845. Greta Lommerse has just been widowed. This extract explores her response...
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