Overview

Johanna is one of the daughters of a migrant cobbler from the eastern backwoods of Pomerania, born in the German Empire of the 1880s. Aching for a life of accomplishment and respect, she resolves to escape her dad's fate of early death, the stigma of his mixed Slavic-German heritage, and the poverty that followed him. A headstrong girl, she refuses to be exploited as a housemaid for a wealthy family— the only choice for girls like her. She loses her job when the master of the house tries to rape her. With nothing to lose, she accepts a job as the concession shop operator with the railroad. On the first day of work, she sets up shop (and home) in an empty passenger railcar and meets Hendrik, a Dutchman, and the construction superintendent. Head over heels, they marry when Johanna becomes pregnant. It doesn't take long before the first babies arrive and continue arriving: within three years, Johanna delivers five children. The couple buys a farm with their savings in Hendrik's hometown. Then Johanna’ s real test of loyalty starts when the Nazis invade.

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9781592113767

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Johanna Van Zanten is an immigrant to Canada from The Netherlands (1982). As she continued her job as a social worker, she discovered the life-altering gift of writing later in life when she began writing short stories. When some of these stories made the shortlist in contests and were published, she took courage and expanded into writing novels. Now retired from her day job, she enjoys her life writing, dividing her time between Canada and Mexico.

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