Cushing, Heather

When I moved to the Netherlands in the early 1990s to work on a novel, I discovered a much different nation to write about. I first encountered the legend of Kenau Hasselaer when I overheard a professor and his students at the University of Leiden's library, and was immediately captivated. The professor spoke about the savage sixteenth century Dutch Revolt against the invading Spanish King Phillip II, the revolt that inspired one woman's fight to preserve the lifestyle that her family had nurtured for generations. Kenau's battle was the seven-month Siege of Haarlem, 1572-1573. The professor re...