ANGELS OF THE RESISTANCE
Noelle Salazar
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MIRA
11/29/22
HistorIcal Fiction
Hardcover, 384 pages
“This story of two teenage sisters who risk everything to join the Dutch Resistance is a dazzling tour-de-force of historical fiction.” -Karen Robards
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From the author of The Flight Girls comes a World War II story inspired by true events, about courageous women who risked everything for their country, for family, and for each other.
Netherlands, 1940: As bombs fall across Europe, fourteen-year-old Lien Vinke fears that the reality of war is inescapable. Though she lives a quiet life with her mother and older sister, Elif, in the small town of Haarlem, they are no strangers to heartache, having recently suffered an immeasurable loss. And when the Nazis invade the Netherlands, joining the Dutch resistance with Elif offers just the atonement Lien craves.
Trained to shoot by their late father, the sisters are deadly wolves in sheep’s clothing. They soon find themselves entrenched in the underground movement, forging friendships with the other young recruits, and Lien even discovers a kindred spirit in a boy named Charlie. But in wartime, emotional attachments are a liability she can’t afford, especially when a personal mission jeopardizes everything she holds dear—her friendships, her family, and her one shot at redemption.
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Dear Reader,
Every once in a while, you hear a story so intriguing it sets your brain afire. That's what happened when I read a brief article about the Oversteegen sisters. I had to know more about these teenage girls who chose to help the Dutch resistance in World War II. What was it like to do these terrifying jobs that would most certainly get them killed if caught? How did it alter them?
Freddie and Truus Oversteegen were the daughters of a single mother living in the small town of Haarlem on the west coast of the Netherlands.
Their work in the Resistance began with the distribution of banned newspapers; eventually, they forged documents, delivered weapons, and committed sabotage. Sometimes, disguised as “Moffen girls,” a derogatory term for women who got involved with Nazi soldiers, they lured high-ranking Nazi officers and Dutch collaborators into the forest where they shot and killed them.
I was inspired by the huge risks these young women took especially as their friends and neighbors were harassed, attacked, killed in the streets, or shipped off to the nightmarish concentration camps. I was moved by their bravery and knew I wanted to tell their story.
After immersing myself in reading about the Oversteegen sisters, I had to see the town where they lived and worked to get a sense of their surroundings. What would they have seen in their daily lives as they walked down the cobblestone streets. How narrow were the alleys? How dark were they at night? How did the bell of the great church echo through the town? In January 2020, I traveled 4,582 miles from Seattle to Haarlem.
When I stepped off the train, I first noticed the distinct Dutch architecture—the beautiful, narrow, tilting houses with brick facades, ornate gables, steep roofs, and large windows. There were bicycles. Winter, there is cold. The biting wind off the North Sea howls. The screeches of the gulls overhead pierce the quiet.
Otherwise, silence lies like a blanket over Haarlem, insulating the town and its people. In this peaceful setting, the story in my mind shifted from the Oversteegens’ history to the fictional Vinke sisters’ story and the adventures I imagined for them.
As I walked the streets, I could see Lien and Elif Vinke. A pair of young girls, loosely inspired by two daring, courageous, and real young ladies. They walked with me and their story took shape. I picked a house for them to live in, a corner shop to visit, alleys to race down, and trees to hide behind, their guns concealed in pockets and waistbands. And that quiet. It seeped into my skin, until I could feel their fear as the air vibrated with planes thundering overhead and the earth shaking below as the bombs fell. The strike of soldiers’ boots on the cobblestones. The frightening sound of tanks rolling down streets, rattling windows, and bringing children to tears. This beautiful, stark town—a haven of brightly colored tulips and happy people—was reduced to a shadow of what it had been.
I was struck by the decisions these girls would have to face: how to survive, whether to hide, collaborate, or even flee, take up arms, and meet the invaders with equal force. My mind lit up with the possibilities.
As I once found myself moved by the bravery and moxie of the Oversteegen sisters, I hope this fictional story of two imagined young women motivates you to look into the women who inspired it. I hope that it brings you comfort, realizing the potential of human courage in the darkest of hours.
-Noelle Salazar
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Book Club Menu and Recipe |
While writing Angels of the Resistance, my curiosity was piqued about the kinds of food my characters would’ve eaten in the Netherlands in the 1940s, both before and during the occupation. Time and again, I came across ontbijtkoek, which translates to “breakfast cake." This gingerbread-like cake is filled with spices, molasses, and honey, and is traditionally served slathered in butter.
I decided to try this bread/cake out for myself, as I am big on both bread and cake. And so, off to the grocery, I went to pick up some rye flour, molasses, and a few spices not already in my cupboard. Back at home, I pulled out my mixing bowl and got to work making the cake of my angel’s many breakfasts.
My kitchen smelled like heaven if heaven were bread/cake —and in my dreams it is. The ontbijtkoek came out perfect. Heavy, fragrant, and shining prettily from its wash of milk. I had a hard time waiting for the loaf to cool to have a taste.
Unlike most American bread of this nature, ontbijtkoek is not nearly as sweet. But it's every bite is as delicious. It is the perfect complement to a cup of coffee, a cup of fresh fruit, or a meal all on its own. But for my assignment to come up with a delicious Dutch meal, I couldn’t just offer up a perfectly spiced loaf. So down the rabbit hole of Dutch cuisine, I went searching for my perfect brunch from a land and a people who perfectly personify the juxtaposition of tough as nails and sweet as pie—or sweet as Hagelslag, as they might say.
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Here is what I’d serve for a lovely Dutch brunch: a bit of sweet, a bit of savory, and a cocktail to honor the courageous Dutch resistance fighters of World War II.
Poffertjes: cutest, puffiest little pancakes
Uitsmijter: savory bread, egg, and ham dish
Stamppot: potato, vegetable, and sausage
Apple Pear Galette: because every brunch needs a galette
Dutch Courage cocktail: a satsuma juice-based drink with a kick. Raise a glass to the Oversteegen sisters, Hannie Schaft, and every woman, man, and child who rose up to fight against the Nazis.
Hagelslag: If f all else fails, have a slice of buttered bread liberally covered in candy sprinkles. Seriously. Look it up!
Cheers!
-Noelle Salazar
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