When the Dikes Breached

by Martha Attema

For sixteen-year-old Klara, a devastating flood reveals a dark family secret.It is February 1953 in the Netherlands and Klara is expected to marry the son of a prominent farmer. In this small island community, steeped in tradition, the Church controls the lives of its citizens but Klara longs to escape for adventure on far away shores. When a spring tide merges with a brutal northwestern storm it causes the dikes to breach, unleashing death and destruction that will expose a dark family secret. 

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 4, 2023

About the author

I was born on a dairy farm in Friesland, a northern province in the Netherlands. I loved horse back riding and dressing up in a traditional Frisian costume. When I grew up I became a kindergarten teacher.

In 1981, I moved with husband, Albert, and our three children to Canada. We settled in North Bay, Ontario.

The English language was new to me. To learn this new language I went to university to obtain my B.A. and B.Ed. In 1987 I became a kindergarten teacher for the second time. I started writing in the English language and with the encouragement of my writing friends at the North Bay Writers' Club, I started submitting stories to publishers.

After many years and many rejection letters, my first novel, 'A Time to Choose' was accepted by Orca Book Publishers, and launched in the fall of 1995. It was a dream come true and the beginning of a wonderful rewarding writing career.