I bought this second edition of H.G. Wells's THE OUTLINE OF HISTORY in 1971 with money received from my parents on our first wedding anniversary. David immediately sat down and read it cover to cover, and over the years we both used it as a valuable reference. It's still a pleasure to leaf through its yellowed and well-worn pages in search of a specific historical detail, despite having vastly more information available only a few strokes away on my iPhone.
The founding of this iconic city by the Dutch will be featured in the sequel to AMSTERDAM ASCENDANT.
Denise Hassett's book club enthusiastically immersed itself in Dutch culture, starting with cute lace-trimmed bonnets and blond pigtails made by her. Hostess Heidi Rabinowitz displayed gorgeous blue & white Delft dishes and vases, Dutch table cloths, and wooden shoes, many provided by her Dutch friend who was unable to attend. Denise made mashed potato & kale stamppot, and members brought gouda cheeses, a salad with Dutch curry dressing, herring, and of course speculaas koekjes. And there were jokes about the risks of speculaas causing pregnancy.
I recently attended Denise Hassett's book club meeting at Heidi Rabinowitz's house when they discussed my AMSTERDAM ASCENDANT novel. We are wearing Dutch bonnets, complete with lace trim and golden braids, made by Denise. A Hoot!
It was gratifying to hear their positive comments about the book, especially its character development, and their lively discussion of favorite events and historical details, as well as sadness when admired characters were killed off. There were also questions about my writing process and how long it took me to write the book—a long time. I was relieved that Cindy Kalkwarf, the daughter of a Calvinist (Reformed Church) minister, said my handling of predestination was well done. Whew! I had been worried about presenting this complex religious tenet appropriately and without oversimplification or offense.
Sue Gazdo with her delicious speculaas koekjes made from a Dutch recipe for The Rep Book Club. The taste was complex and rich due to the many spices: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, anise, ginger, and cardamon. Only a few of those would have been available during the 1500s period of AMSTERDAM ASCENDANT, but more will be during the novel's sequel, when Amsterdam ramps up its East Indies spice trade.
Shortly after returning from Amsterdam, I met with members of The Rep Book Club who read my novel. I was gratified by the positive feedback about the story, characters, and writing style, and readers saying they loved learning about ships and aspects of life during the latter 1500s. There were numerous questions about my approach to writing and the influence of David and my world travel experiences. Sue Gazdo's scrumptious speculaas koekjes, which she made from a recipe found on a Dutch website, elicited humorous warnings of the risk of pregnancy from eating them!
Before leaving Amsterdam, I just had to buy some of my favorite Dutch treats—Droste Pastilles and speculaas cookies. I bought extras to share at upcoming meetings with book clubs when they discuss Amsterdam Ascendant.
This statue is of Jan Pieterszoon Coen, who was a controversial figure in the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and plays an important role in the upcoming sequel to AMSTERDAM ASCENDANT.
David and I took the train from Amsterdam to Hoorn, a town with a picturesque harbor, well-preserved historic buildings, and charm galore. It features prominently in AMSTERDAM ASCENDANT as the hometown of fictional Rykaard, who becomes Maarten's first mate after the battle of the Zuider Zee, and real person Pieter Jansz Liorne, who invents the fluyt ship.
