A Young Wife

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Overview

An epic tale of a mother’s sacrifice, determination, and love spanning three continents

When fifteen-year-old Minke van Aisma travels to Amsterdam to care for the dying wife of an older, wealthy man named Sander DeVries, she has no idea what awaits her. Within hours of his wife’s death, Sander proposes marriage, and within days the couple sets sail for the burgeoning oil fields of Argentina. But the future that seemed so bright takes a dark turn the morning their son, Zef, is kidnapped. Dire circumstances dictate that Sander immigrate to New York at once, leaving Minke little choice but to wait for their new baby’s arrival, follow Sander to America, and ...

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Overview

An epic tale of a mother’s sacrifice, determination, and love spanning three continents

When fifteen-year-old Minke van Aisma travels to Amsterdam to care for the dying wife of an older, wealthy man named Sander DeVries, she has no idea what awaits her. Within hours of his wife’s death, Sander proposes marriage, and within days the couple sets sail for the burgeoning oil fields of Argentina. But the future that seemed so bright takes a dark turn the morning their son, Zef, is kidnapped. Dire circumstances dictate that Sander immigrate to New York at once, leaving Minke little choice but to wait for their new baby’s arrival, follow Sander to America, and abandon her firstborn. What follows is a triumphant turn-of-the-century story of faith, betrayal, and redemption, an indelible portrait of one woman’s struggle to steer her own fate.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
In her third novel, loosely based on the life of her grandmother, Lewis (Perfect Family) delivers an exuberant protagonist whose adventures begin when she immigrates to Argentina in 1912. When 15-year-old Minke van Aisma leaves her small Netherlands village to care for the dying wife of well-to-do businessman Sander DeVries in Amsterdam, she does not expect a marriage proposal, but when his wife dies, that's exactly what she gets. Sander asks Minke to be his wife and go with him to Comodoro Rivadavia, an oil boomtown in Argentina. On the long sea voyage Minke discovers her inner strength and sense of adventure, and she grows close with Sander's longtime friend Cassian, a steerage boy named Pieps, and a Dutch couple also hoping to get rich quick. This group makes up Minke's world in Comodoro Rivadavia, a lawless town full of men and booze. Within her first year there, Minke has a baby boy and becomes pregnant again, learns to ride a horse and speak Spanish, and discovers that her husband is far from perfect. An attack on Cassian and the kidnapping of Minke's son set in motion life-altering events as Minke moves to New York and deals with such problems as infidelity, drugs, and gambling. Despite anachronisms in the voice, the unexpected twists in Minke's story and her feisty appeal will keep readers eager to turn the page. (June)
Library Journal
Lewis's books have always been well received if a little under the radar; our reviewer saw The Perfect Family as a "deftly woven tale of family secrets" (LJ 11/15/05). The heroine here, based on Lewis's own grandmother, is a young Dutch woman who travels with her husband from Amsterdam to Argentina, where her son is abducted; she ends in New York, where she is left by her husband. Track for readers who want absorbing family drama with a little style.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781451612738
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  • Publication date: 6/19/2012
  • Pages: 320
  • Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 8.44 (h) x 0.90 (d)

Meet the Author

Pam Lewis
Pam Lewis

Pam Lewis is the author of the novels Perfect Family and Speak Softly, She Can Hear. Her short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker and various literary magazines. She lives in Storrs, Connecticut. Learn more at PamLewisOnline.com.


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