Jan's Houseboat Hideaway

Jan's Houseboat Hideaway tells the true story of WWII and the German occupation of Holland through the eyes of eleven-year-old Jan Deden. The story takes place in the small village of Breukelen, which long ago gave its name to Brooklyn, New York. Janas sleepless mother paces the deck of the houseboat and shouts angry curses into the night. His fourteen-year-old sister spends her time taking care of his newborn brother. His nine-year-old sister is his playmate and confidante, and his father holds the family together with a shrewdness born out of the memories of deprivation during the Great War. Though they are miles away from the larger, more dangerous cities of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, they survive severe rationing, Nazi roundups, and the decimation of their country. With love, humor, and sheer stubbornness, they live to see their country freed. To find out what happens to the family after the war or to learn more about the author, visit www.sandradeden.com.