by Johanna van Zanten
I can’t get enough of stories with strong female characters who, when the chips are down, take risks that require them to grow, change and learn their own power.
Johanna van Zanten delivers on that score in THE IMPOSTER, a well-researched historical fiction novel inspired by her parents, who lived through the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during WW II.
Young protagonist Johanna, born in the 1880s to impoverished parents in Osterode, Germany, chafes at the idea of living the same life as her parents: married with lots of children and barely able to keep them fed.
After ditching her job as a housemaid when the master of the house attempts rape, Johanna finds a job running a concession stand at a railroad and so strikes out on her own.
She does marry, have kids and work hard, but throughout her life, she boldly meets every challenge: struggling through the deprivations of WW I; surviving the Spanish Influenza; moving to Holland where she feels like a stranger; learning to run a farm; handling the death of a spouse; and living through WW II.
The author clearly did her homework regarding the various locations, history and cultures. She also did a wonderful job of depicting a girl searching for how she fits into the world. Best of all, the book shows her living a brave and interesting life.
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