Motherlode: A Mosaic of Dutch Wartime Experience

Acknowledgements

123 Acknowledgements This collection would not have been possible without the collaboration and assistance of several individuals and institutions. Undertaken as a manuscript project in the Humber School for Writers’ graduate program in creative writing, Motherlode benefited from the guidance of my mentor, Olive Senior, to whom I express my deepest gratitude. I extend my warmest thanks to my editor at Wilfrid Laurier University Press, Lisa Quinn, whose belief in this project was palpable from the start. Her excellent guidance and enthusiasm were invaluable. I am indebted to Marlene Kadar, the editor of Wilfrid Laurier University Press’s Life Writing series, of which Motherlode is a part, who offered counsel, encouragement, and friendship during this endeavour. My sincerest thanks go out to: ◆ The Dutch war children who told me their stories: Libby Boelen Emond, Carla Stapensea, and Kees Vanderheyden, whose 124 contributions resulted in a significant part of this book. I would also like to thank Herman Ganzevoort of the University of Calgary and Peter Lowensteyn of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Netherlandic Studies, who led me to them. ◆ Nico Hamme, a Dutch Jew living in Amsterdam, whose story of escape to Belgium through the Dutch underground network inspired me. ◆ David Kucer, a Canadian Jewish war veteran who told me of his experiences liberating Holland during World War II. Thanks also to his daughter, Susan Kucer, who made this connection possible. ◆ Pier Kuipers of Dublin, Ireland, who allowed me to use a letter written by his grandparents during the Dutch liberation as inspiration. ◆ Anna Massee, the owner of Het Grote Avontuur, a shop on the Haarlemmerstraat in the Jordaan district of Amsterdam, where we began a long conversation about her resistance-fighter grandparents, Charlotte Schouten Escher and Jan Willem Schouten. I am grateful to her for sharing their stories, both in Amsterdam and across the Atlantic. ◆ Robin Roger, who shared her father’s wartime correspondence with me. Ralph Roger, né Rogow, was a Canadian infantry soldier who was billeted in Holland during the liberation. ◆ The dedicated and competent staff of several research institutions in Amsterdam: the Dutch Resistance Museum, the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation, and the Jewish Historical Museum. I extend particular gratitude to Anat Harel of the Jewish Historical Museum for her assistance in Amsterdam and with subsequent inquiries. ◆ Gordon van Wezel and his family, the current owners of my mother’s childhood home, who welcomed me and showed me the legendary homestead. Several individuals read the manuscript before publication and offered valuable commentary and support: Ginette Ledoux, Alicia Vandermeer, Michael Farry, Flora-Lee Bendit, Heather Mills, Steven Manners, Isabelle Laflèche, and Pauline Colwin. 125 I am grateful to Michael Carin, Robert Lecker, and Anne Lizotte for their advice and professional contributions. Special thanks go to Sara Rose Murphy for seeing this project through to the end. My warm thanks go out to the following people for their inspiration and enthusiasm during this project: Jocelyne Alarie, Kathy Bouwheer, Annie Camus , Julie Faucher, Dawn Levy, Vicky Messier, Eric Schoeniger, and Jasmin Uhthoff. In particular, I would like to thank my husband, Robert Kopersiewich, and my son, Eric, for their love and encouragement throughout this journey. Finally, I would like to thank my mother, Wilma Van Der Meer, for daring to confront her past. This page intentionally left blank ...