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Book Review
Cruel Paradise - Life Stories of Dutch
Emigrants
Hylke Speerstra
Eerdmans, 2005, 224p
Review by Ray Hoekzema
The author, formerly the chief editor of the daily newspaper Leeuwarder
Courant, now a fulltime writer in the Netherlands, circled the globe
interviewing Dutch migrants in the US, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand
and Australia. He originally wrote these individual stories, vividly
recounting the trials and successes of these migrants, in Frisian and
then rather freely into Dutch. Subsequently, Henry J. Baron, himself an
immigrant child, professor emeritus in English at Calvin College, Grand
Rapids, USA, translated them into English.
They are interesting, often poignant, sometimes amusing, always memorable stories that provide a moving tribute to those who left their homeland behind – burning their bridges, so to speak – with little more than uncertain hopes for their children. However, I’d have to say, readers of Frisian stock will enjoy these stories ever so much more than others. But for those who love memoirs and travel literature, the inclusion of a glossary of Frisian place-names and a map of “Frysl_n” may be of some assistance.
NOTE! Most of the books reviewed I choose from
the Publishers’ Catalogues. However, two of the books reviewed here were
sent to me unsolicited. The one above, Cruel Paradise, not exactly
leadership material, and the one that follows which had quite a bit of
Greek in it. And since that is not my forte, I asked my Pastor, John
Westendorp to review it for you.
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