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Rosa's war

Cover Rosa's war hr.jpg

August 1942: a young man washes up on Katendrecht in Rotterdam, where German soldiers are not allowed to go because of a ban on visiting prostitutes. He is taken in by Belvédère, the infamous café where forbidden jazz is played downstairs and people in hiding and resistance fighters live upstairs. The man has lost his memory: he has neither name nor past. Rosa, a Surinamese servant, takes care of the stranger – together with her brother Lucky. Who is he? What are his origins and background? A motley crew searches and speculates, until the disturbing truth surfaces.

Out of love, Mr. Tuschinski

Abraham Tuschinski and his brothers-in-law Hermann Ehrlich and Hersch Gerschtanowitz opened an exclusive film theatre in the Hoogstraat in Rotterdam in 1912. Abraham was a man with vision, and above all with guts. Even during the First World War, he dared to expand his film theatres and he demolished the poorly reputed Duvelshoek neighbourhood in Amsterdam to build a magnificent theatre from scratch. Everything seemed to be going well for the men, until Abraham fell hopelessly in love with Jet, the wife of his brother-in-law and business partner Hermann Ehrlich.

The man who left everything behind

Holland-America, early twentieth century: David Buijser is eleven years old when his flamboyant father Johannes abandons the family, looking for adventure overseas. Years after his departure, David finds a suitcase full of letters that show that his father has tried to keep in touch. David decides to follow his trail to New York, keeping his goal in mind: getting to know the man who is supposed to be so much like him.

The Man Who Left Everything Behind is a historical novel based on the extraordinary life story of my great-great-grandfather, Jo hannes Buijser.

Wallada's guests

Place: Heaven. Hostess: Wallada, a liberal Muslim princess from 11th-century Al-Andalus. Guests: rebellious filmmaker Theo, Somali politician Ayaan and her opposite: extremist cousin Ayda. Topic: Islam, peace and freedom. At stake: the fate of Wallada's old city of Córdoba, which must be saved from a terrorist attack planned by Ayda's comrades in arms. Drinks: at least two packets of Gauloises and many glasses of mint tea.

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Rosa's oorlog
Uit liefde, meneer Tuchinski
De man die alles achterliet
Wallda's gasten

May 16, 2023

Time for Max

Tanya Commandeur - De reus van Amsterdam

Tanya Commandeur - De reus van Amsterdam

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