Heading the mission were Walter Süskind, a German Jew living in the Netherlands, Henriëtte Pimentel, a Sephardic Jew, and Johan van Hulst, principal of a Christian college. As Nazis rounded up Jewish families at gunpoint, the three discreetly moved children from the deportation center to the daycare across the street and over the backyard hedge to the college next door. From the college, the children were transported to live with Dutch families. Working against irate orders from Hitler to rid the Netherlands of all Jews and increasing Nazi hostilities on the Resistance, the trio worked tirelessly to overcome barriers. Ingenious plans were implemented to remove children’s names from the registry of captured Jews.
To sneak them out of the college undetected past guards patrolling the deportation center. To meld them in with their new families to avoid detection. Based on actual events, Over the Hedge is the story of how against escalating Nazi brutality when millions of Jews were disposed of in camps, Walter Süskind, Henriëtte Pimentel, and Johan van Hulst worked heroically with the Dutch resistance to save Jewish children. But it is not just a story of their courageous endeavors.
It is a story of the resilience of the human spirit. Of friendship and selfless love. The love that continues on in the hearts of over six hundred Dutch Jewish children
Read an Excerpt from Over the Hedge
It was not acceptable for Erhard to be in conflict about his indoctrination. It had never happened before. Feeling like he’d walked into a patch of stinging nettle, he wanted to rip out the crawling irritation spreading over his skin. Images of Jews on their knees with guns pointed at their heads came to him. Their voices begging for mercy. His nails dug into his palms, forming red welts. A man with a pistol directed at his heart pleaded, “I’m a father. A husband. Please.” The man’s face transformed into Walter’s. Bang. Bang. Erhard’s body jerked back as if the bullet had shot through him. He hated that Walter had become a person. Human. No longer a rodent spreading disease to be done away with. He wanted to reach inside his head and tear out the thoughts flooding his sanity.
Diluting his common sense. He wanted to run away. Instead, he sat there. He remained put until the sun lowered to the edge of the earth and vibrant rich colors filled the skyline. He looked at the orange and yellow hues; but the details of the sunset’s beauty were lost to him. He thought of all the sunsets he would live to see. Twilights that millions of Jews would never look at. The millions didn’t concern him. Only one did. Why! Damnit, why! He knew the answer rested in his tomorrows. He promised to kill them all. That’s what his Führer ordered. Would he follow orders? What choice did he have?
About the Author:
Paulette Mahurin is an international best-selling literary and historical fiction novelist. She lives with her husband Terry and two dogs in Ventura County, California. She grew up in West Los Angeles and attended UCLA, where she received a Master’s Degree in Science.
Her first novel, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, made it to Amazon bestseller lists and won awards, including best historical fiction 2012 in Turning the Pages Magazine. Her second novel, His Name Was Ben, originally written as an award winning short story while she was in college and later expanded into a novel, rose to bestseller lists its second week out. Her third novel, To Live Out Loud, won international critical acclaim and made it to multiple sites as favorite read book of 2015. Her fourth book, The Seven Year Dress, made it to the top ten bestseller lists on Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K. and Amazon Australia. Her fifth book, The Day I Saw The Hummingbird, was released in 2017 to rave reviews. Her sixth book, A Different Kind of Angel, was released in August, 2018, also to rave reviews.
Semi-retired, she continues to work part-time as a Nurse Practitioner in Ventura County. When she’s not writing, she does pro-bono consultation work with women with cancer, works in the Westminster Free Clinic as a volunteer provider, volunteers as a mediator in the Ventura County Courthouse for small claims cases, and involves herself, along with her husband, in dog rescue. Profits from her books go to help rescue dogs from kill shelters.
Check out the Author's other BOOKS
Thank you so much for the spotlight at your great site. I really appreciate it. Paulette
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