This book would not have been possible without the contributions of many, many people. Heel hartelijk bedankt and deepest appreciation to Newton vander Woude, Jack de Jagers, and Jacob Geertsema (who has since gone to be with the Lord) for sharing with me the stories of your lives during World War II. At times it was painful, but the world will now know of your incredible courage and faith.
Thank you to my amazing agent, Tamela Hancock Murray, for all of your support and hard work through the years, for believing in me when I stopped believing in myself. Thank you to Andrea Boeshaar, the first author I ever met and my longtime mentor. You started me down this crazy road to publication. Thank you to Hillie Feitsma for filling in some of the blanks in the family story that became this book.
I owe a debt of gratitude to the folks at the Verzets Museum in Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands, for help with some of the aspects of Resistance work in Friesland at the end of the war. Bedankt to the historian of the city of Nijmegen, Netherlands, for help with details about the first night of the war.
My wonderful critique partners, Diana, Laura, and Robin, were honest with me and helped me make this book the best it can be. I appreciate you all. Thank you to my dear friend Sabrina Tolbert for help with a subject I knew nothing about.
To Amanda Bostic, Natalie Hanemann, Julee Schwarzburg, Jodi Hughes, Daisy Hutton, Becky Monds, Becky Philpott, and the fabulous team at Thomas Nelson, thank you for stepping out in faith with this story and for your aid in fine-tuning it. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with.
My family—you are a precious gift from God. Thank you to my husband, Doug. It takes a certain kind of man to be married to an author often “living” in another era. You are the best, and I love you deeply. My deepest gratitude to my amazing children, Brian, Alyssa, and Jonalyn, for your help with the chores, with meals, and the oldest two, with caring for your sister. Without that, I wouldn’t be able to write. My parents both instilled in me a love of reading, the written word, and the Lord. That combination produced this book. Thank you to them for loving me.
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.