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Sonny boy by Annejet Van der Zijl
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Sonny boy (original 2004; edition 2011)

by Annejet Van der Zijl

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7882727,906 (3.8)16
From the Amazon Charts bestselling author of An American Princess comes the true story of an unconventional family divided by war and prejudice during WWII. When they fell in love in 1928, Rika and Waldemar could not have been more different. She was a thirty-seven-year-old Dutch-born mother, estranged from her husband. He was her immigrant boarder, not yet twenty, and a wealthy Surinamese descendant of slaves. The child they have together, brown skinned and blue eyed, brings the couple great joy yet raises some eyebrows. Until the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands explodes their promising life. What unfolds is more than the astonishing story of a love that prevailed over convention. It's also the quest of a young boy. Through the cruelty of World War II, he will fight for a connection between his father's South American birthplace and his mother's European traditions. Lost and displaced for much of his life, but with a legacy of resilience in his blood, he will struggle to find his place in the world. Moving deftly between personal experience and the devastating machinations of war, The Boy Between Worlds is an unforgettable journey of hope, love, and courage in the face of humanity's darkest hour.… (more)
Member:wimklee1933
Title:Sonny boy
Authors:Annejet Van der Zijl
Info:Amsterdam Querido 2011
Collections:Your library
Rating:
Tags:None

Work Information

The Boy Between Worlds by Annejet van der Zijl (2004)

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» See also 16 mentions

Dutch (18)  English (9)  All languages (27)
Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
It is and it isn't hard to understand why Sonny Boy is a best seller, and was chosen as the book of the year for the annual national week of reading. Obviously, the woke topic, of a white slave owner who owns a slave girl, secretely loves and marries her, shields her from injustice, and takes care of all their lives, is just the kind of thing that soothes the national consciousness in the year in which both the prime minister and the King have spoken of their intense regret in view of slavery and offered apologies.

Sonny Boy by the Dutch author Annejet van der Zijl belongs to the genre of creative non-fiction. Unfortunately, the author has apparently overlooked the adjective, and merely thought of writing a non-fictional biography. While her choice is interesting, her skill in handling the material is loathesome. The story lacks even the least creative skill. The writing style isn't much elevated above the level of a high school student writing an project assignment. The characters remain card board and the story fails to take off.

It is obvious that the success of this book is the fortuitious choice of topic, but stylistically this book is a disaster. ( )
  edwinbcn | Dec 31, 2023 |
I passed on three other unread Kindle books before landing on this Freebie from months ago. I started around noon and read it straight through to finishing. I just could not stop reading, despite the rather dry writing style. The dry text ultimately makes the story simultaneously easier to read without too much gut-wrenching, but yet all the more powerful to reflect on. There is no emotional manipulation here, just an accounting of actions and consequences and how one thing leads to another- for good or for ill or somewhere both and in-between. ( )
  Kim.Sasso | Aug 27, 2023 |
In truth, I did not finish this book The plot sounded interesting but the writing failed to give the characters life. The 80 page I read were more of a slog than a ‘read’. The author described and developed the characters in the same way a police report would describe a crime scene and the episodes or events of the story were more a chronology than a plot. It took me two months of trying to read it before I gave up. In the meantime, I did not read things I might have enjoyed. ( )
  PaulLoesch | Apr 2, 2022 |
Fascinating story that was new to me, and well told. ( )
  WilliamMcClain | Jun 9, 2020 |
In truth, I did not finish this book The plot sounded interesting but the writing failed to give the characters life. The 80 page I read were more of a slog than a ‘read’. The author described and developed the characters in the same way a police report would describe a crime scene and the episodes or events of the story were more a chronology than a plot. It took me two months of trying to read it before I gave up. In the meantime, I did not read things I might have enjoyed. ( )
  Paul-the-well-read | Apr 21, 2020 |
Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (10 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Zijl, Annejet van derprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Gehrman, KristenTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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People/Characters
Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Important places
Important events
Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
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Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Epigraph
Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
When there are grey skies
I don't mind the grey skies
You make them blue, Sonny Boy

Friends may forsake me
Let them all forsake me
You pull me through, Sonny Boy

You're sent from Heaven
And I know you worth
You've made a heaven
For me right here on earth

And the the angels grew lonely
Took you 'cause they're lonely
Now I'm lonely too, Sonny Boy

'Sonny Boy' uit de film The Singing Fool, gezongen door Al Jolson, 1928

Wie iets van een bepaalde tijd wil begrijpen, moet biografieën lezen, en dan niet die van staatslieden, maar die in aantal veel te schaarse biografieën van onbekende burgers

Sebastiaan Haffner, Het verhaal van een Duitser, 1914 - 1933
Dedication
Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Voor mijn zusje, Sietske van der Zijl.
First words
Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Waldemar was een zwemmer.
Quotations
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Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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From the Amazon Charts bestselling author of An American Princess comes the true story of an unconventional family divided by war and prejudice during WWII. When they fell in love in 1928, Rika and Waldemar could not have been more different. She was a thirty-seven-year-old Dutch-born mother, estranged from her husband. He was her immigrant boarder, not yet twenty, and a wealthy Surinamese descendant of slaves. The child they have together, brown skinned and blue eyed, brings the couple great joy yet raises some eyebrows. Until the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands explodes their promising life. What unfolds is more than the astonishing story of a love that prevailed over convention. It's also the quest of a young boy. Through the cruelty of World War II, he will fight for a connection between his father's South American birthplace and his mother's European traditions. Lost and displaced for much of his life, but with a legacy of resilience in his blood, he will struggle to find his place in the world. Moving deftly between personal experience and the devastating machinations of war, The Boy Between Worlds is an unforgettable journey of hope, love, and courage in the face of humanity's darkest hour.

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