The Dutch Orphan
A Novel
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Canada
- Initial publish date
- Apr 2023
- Category
- World War II, Jewish, Siblings
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781443464369
- Publish Date
- Apr 2023
- List Price
- $13.99
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781443464352
- Publish Date
- Apr 2023
- List Price
- $22.99
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Description
From the author of The Dutch Wife comes a riveting novel set during World War II about two sisters, one of whom secretly adopts a Jewish baby and the other who is married to a Nazi sympathizer
Amsterdam, 1941. When the Nazis invade Amsterdam, singer Johanna Vos watches in horror as her Jewish friends are forbidden from performing with her onstage, and the vibrant music scene she loves is all but erased. Johanna helps organize the Artists’ Resistance, an underground network that arranges for Jewish musicians to perform at house concerts hosted by their allies. When Johanna is told about a Jewish orphan who is headed for deportation, she does not think twice: she takes the baby in as her own, hiding the truth from everyone, including her sister, Liesbeth.
Meanwhile, Liesbeth de Wit finds herself torn between her sister and her failing marriage. She knows Johanna is an ally of the Resistance, while her husband actively supports the Dutch Fascist Party. As the sisters navigate the ongoing Nazi occupation, they find themselves growing further and further apart. And when another charming member of the Dutch Fascist Party sets his eyes on Liesbeth, her predicament only deepens.
As the war unfolds, secrets continue to grow between the sisters, severing their once-unbreakable bond. Eventually, both women are forced to make a choice that will alter their lives forever: the choice between family and freedom.
About the author
ELLEN KEITH is a Canadian writer and recent graduate of the University of British Columbia’s MFA program in creative writing. Her work has appeared in publications such as The New Quarterly and The Globe and Mail and has received the Anton Fiction Prize and James Patrick Folinsbee Prize in Creative Writing. She spends much of her time abroad, travelling across South America, dancing salsa and tango, and cycling along the canals of Amsterdam, where she currently resides.