Author Shares Stories of WWII, Struggle, Grief
SPRUCE GROVE, Alberta (PRWEB) May 24, 2016 -- Author Gerda Blokhuis Vandenhaak's autobiographical account of World War II, "Geertje: War Seen through the Eyes of a Child as an Adult" (published by iUniverse) portrays the hunger and fear she felt throughout the World War II in the Netherlands and memories of her father's blank expression when she visited him in a concentration camp.
In "Geertje," Vandenhaak looks back at the confusion she felt as a child, and how she always managed to get food for her family as a 7-year-old – even if it meant breaking curfew to roam the countryside and beg at a farmhouse.
When the war ended, her troubles did not: Her family took in another family because so many homes had been destroyed. That family took up three rooms, and everyone had to share the bathroom, which made Vandenhaak angry. But those early experiences showed her what it meant to suffer, which is one of the reasons she's dedicated her life to helping others.
"After the passing away of my husband Andrew Vandenhaak, I felt this compelling need to leave something from both of us, for the grandchildren to remember us by," Vandenhaak says. "Many people struggle and will be able to relate. I want to show people what it was like for a young child from a middle-class family to live through the war. I feel that the majority of war-time stories are only taken from the perspective of an adult."
"Geertje"
By Gerda Blokhuis Vandenhaak
Softcover | 5 x 8in | 150 pages | ISBN 9781491785515
E-Book | 150 pages | ISBN 9781491790106
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Gerda Blokhuis Vandenhaak is a facilitator with Darkness to Light, which is devoted to ending sexual abuse of children. She was recognized with The Global Woman of Vision Award as a result of her advocacy for children. She has five children and 23 grandchildren.
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