So I often get books for my birthday. I have a writer that I really like. His name is Sir Rider Haggard. Yes, another English author. For those of you who know me, my favorite books are written mostly by English authors.
Anyway, Sir Haggard writes these incredible history novels. You may have heard of one of his books, "King Solomon's Mines". I have all of these. Then the others are "Pearl Maiden" a tale of the fall of Jerusalem to Titus. "The Brethren" a tale of brothers in love with the same maid in the time of the 2nd Crusade. And "Lysbeth", a tale of the Dutch!
This is the one that I recently read. It is a story placed during the time when the Dutch Protestants were in a bloody struggle for survival during the occupation by the Spaniards.
Many may not realize fully what happened during that time. Basically King Phillip of Spain signed the death warrant for 3 million Dutch people!
Any Protestants that the Inquisition, the human monsters could find, especially rich ones, were tortured, burned at the stake, starved, and many other terrible things. They harmed men, women, children, anyone!
But the amazing spirit of the Dutch continued to hold on! Led by William the Silent, one of the most kind and wise men in the world, they stood firm. Many cities were taken after months of terrible fighting and starvation. Then the Spaniards would enter, and massacre the inhabitants.
In desperation, many Dutch began to cut the great dykes that held the sea back from their shores. They said,
"We will let our land be overrun by the sea before we let the Spaniards have it!"
William's brothers were killed in a battle with the Spanish, and later on the poor man was murdered himself.
But still the Dutch held on, contesting every foot of ground, fighting and dying like madmen for their freedom and faith!
In the end, God blessed their faithfulness and the Spanish were defeated in a terrible sea battle with the Dutch and English, who were also strong Protestants.
The story of the Dutch, the story of faith, the story of courage. It is a story that is one of the most heartbreaking and stirring out of the many stories of history!
This book, "Lysbeth", is the story of a young girl, and then later on woman, living in these turbulent times.
The arch villian is Count Juan de Montalvo, alias Ramiro. And believe me, you will be grinding your teeth at him by the end!
I won't tell you much, except for there is romance, tears, laughter, emotion, and a message. I strongly urge you to read this book, and study this period of history that shows yet again the struggle for freedom by God's people!
Here's a link to a site where they sell it. And you can type in "Sir Rider Haggard" to the search box, to see his other books.
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