Three beautiful Dutch books

As part of The Literary Grand Tour of the World, Kat from Minas Morgul challenged us with the question ‘Which book(s) represent your country the best?’

For quite some time I have been thinking about writing a post about Dutch books. I never did, because I actually don’t like most Dutch literature. As child there were many Dutch writers I loved, like Tonke Dragt, Carry Slee, Francine Oomen and Simone van de Vlugt. When I got older I started to read more and more Young Adult books by English or American writers. I only read Dutch adult books for class at high school. Some of them were okay, but they couldn’t live up to the fantasy books I loved most. The majority of books I read are still written by foreign writers. Occasionally I try to read books by Dutch writers. By now I did find a couple of books I like, but it’s still “not my cup of tea.”

So I’m not sure if I can answer the question, but I can recommend some good stories set in the Netherlands. Since most of my followers aren’t Dutch, I have chosen three books that are also translated to English. Just before publishing this post, I realized that the colours of the books are the same as the Dutch flag! 😊

Tow-Truck Pluck by Annie M.G. Schmidt & Fiep Westendorp
Many children in the Netherlands grew up with the stories of Annie M.G. Schmidt and the iconic illustrations by Fiep Westendorp. Annie M.G. Schmidt is best known for her stories about Jip and Janneke, but she wrote many more classics. Tow-Truck Pluck is an adventurous story with many amazing characters. Among others there is Zaza the cockroach, Mrs. Brightner who is obsessed with cleaning and the noisy Stampers family. Pluck himself is a kind boy that is always willing to help others with his truck. As far as I remember, the story itself doesn’t really have things I consider typically Dutch. The writer is an important part of Dutch history, though. Everyone in the Netherlands knows Annie M.G. Schmidt. Next to more than hundred books, she wrote beautiful poems, songs and plays too.  She is famous for the characters she created, but also for something that is hard to translate: the way she used Dutch language. It’s a pity that not everybody can read her books in Dutch!

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old by Hendrik Groen
Hendrik lives in a retirement home in Amsterdam. In his diary he records his days and writes about the other residents. This is far more interesting than you may think! My favourite parts are about the Old But Not Dead club, founded by Hendrik and a couple of friends. It starts as an act of rebellion. But the day trips the members organize for each other make their life actually more bearable. Hendrik’s story is funny and uplifting, but also profound and at times sad. Some parts are universal, but I am sure the book would be different if it was not set in the Netherlands. It’s hard to say what is typically Dutch about the book. I think it’s in details like the food the characters eat and news items that are mentioned.

Midnight Blue by Simone van der Vlugt
Simone van der Vlugt has written good historical fiction for both children and adults. I like that her books are easy to read and great to learn more about Dutch history. Midnight Blue is a good example, but not the best book Simone van der Vlugt wrote. I have chosen this book, because it’s one of the few that is translated to English. The story is set in the 17th century, during Holland’s Golden Age. The main character is Catrin. After her husband dies, she becomes housekeeper to a merchant family in Amsterdam. At a certain point she has to flee to Delft. There Catrin gets the chance to earn a living painting pottery. Her workshop starts to create a new type of pottery: Delft Blue.