Writing to You From Heaven!

Goeje dag from AMSTERDAM! The reason I told you I am writing from heaven is that I am here -- with both my parents -- to celebrate the Dutch launch of Een Andere Wereld (the Dutch translation of my book, What World Is Left).

See that man with me in the third pic? He's my cousin Marteyn, a law professor at the University of Leiden, and the woman smiling at us is my Tante Lies. About 50 people came out today for my presentation at the Jewish Historical Museum here in Amsterdam. Many of them were old friends of my parents -- and relatives, of course.

I'm so happy and excited to be here I can hardly write a word! On the other hand, I have many things I want to tell you, dear blog reader. So many stories are connected to the story of this book... here's one for today. You may know that What World Is Left is a historical novel based on my mum's childhood experiences in Theresienstadt, a Nazi concentration camp. My mother, who's now 83, has forgotten many things about what happened to her during the war. But one story which she remembered and which I used in my book is about a little boy who arrived late in the war to Theresienstadt. His name was Ronald and he was also from Holland. My mum kept an eye out for the little boy and in a way, he gave her hope for the future. Well, guess what? Ronald WAS AT THE MUSEUM TODAY. When I finished speaking, he also said a few words! (That is Ronald in the first picture today.)

In today's second picture, you can see me with my mum in front of the Hollandsche Schouwburg -- that is the building in Holland where my mum was deported from in 1943. Today was the first time she stepped foot in the Schouwburg since then. (The Schouwburg is now part of the Jewish Museum here.) You can imagine that it was an emotional visit -- my mum managed not to cry, but I did. In a way, I think I cried for her. But you know what? I didn't cry out of sorrow, I cried out of happiness. The tears came when Annemiek Gringold, the Schouwburg historian, showed us a copy of an old registration card with my mother's information on it. At the top of the card, someone had written the words: "In leven!" (with an exclamation mark). That means "Survived!" (I found the exclamation mark important too!!)

Tonight, we're having dinner with Hanneke Majoor, whom I met for the first time this morning. Hanneke translated my book into Dutch and I loved her before I met her because she was so kind and sensitive and understood exactly how much the project means to me and to my family. We'll also meet her husband Peter, a Dutch author. Another friend from the De Fontein publishing company is coming too.

I'll try to keep writing blog entries all week to keep you posted about our adventures. Wednesday, I go to the Anne Frank House. Thursday, we launch the book at the museum in Zutphen, my grandfather's hometown.

This morning, in the journal I write in every morning, I said how grateful I am to so so many people for helping me tell this story first in English and now in Dutch. Most of all, I have to thank my mum -- she taught me everything I know about storytelling and about courage!