Letters from Nowhere

This is the beginning of the secret correspondence between young Lieneke and her father, between one hiding place and another in Nazi-occupied Holland. Lieneke`s father, a brilliant scientist, fills his letters with love and laughter, animals and flowers, and allusions to a different time. He illustrates and binds them into colorful booklets which the Dutch underground delivers to the little girl. And each one is accompanied by the order: “Destroy after reading.”  Letters from Nowhere is the story of an extraordinary little girl, who finds shelter in the home of a village doctor and his wife, and conceals her true identity from her schoolmates, her neighbors, the farmers, even from other Jews in hiding. And, of course, from the German soldiers. Throughout this time she waits for her father`s illustrated letters, which give her hope that she and her family will soon be released and return to their home.

Tami Shem-Tov based this book on the real story of Lieneke-Jacqueline van der Hoeden, using the original illustrated letters. A moving and amazing document.