I thoroughly enjoyed this historically based story of the Dutch migration to the Holland, MI area from the Netherlands. It's so fun to read of places that are familiar. I could picture the coast of Lake Michigan and Black Lake (now Lake Macatawa), Allegan, and Kalamazoo. This book sent me to Google several times to get more detail on the shipwrecks of the Ironsides and the Phoenix, as well as of the fires in the city of Holland and at Hotel Ottawa.
The spiritual aspect of the story also provided a deeper understanding of the persecution that occurred in the Netherlands (as well as other countries), and the tight-knit community that became the Dutch here in southwest Michigan. The tragedies that faced the main character and her determination to follow God even in hard situations was touching. One of my favorite lines from Geesje was "I love your father a hundred times more than I ever loved Hendrik. A thousand times more. The attraction Hendrik and I felt for each other never could have survived all the fires and storms I've been through since then. His faith wasn't strong enough, and neither was mine. But the love your father and I share is the real thing. Nothing can ever quench it." We never forget some of those "first loves" because of the amazing feelings and attraction we had; however the enduring love of staying together through hard times and leaning on one another, brings a whole different type of love.
Again, a good story, but somewhat predictable. I appreciated Geesje's original story sharing her honest struggle with God through the years, as well as her deep friendship with Derk, whom she loved like a grandson.
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