Most Popular Books by John Nieuwenhuizen

At the end of the world, near the border with Germany, stands a house as long as nine open arms. Half hidden behind trees and shrubs rises a wide brick wall, topped with two attic windows, each no bigger than a dishcloth. The walls have been whitewashed and the wooden floor is bare, as if the house is waiting. Waiting for someone to move in. It is the summer of 1937, and it hasn't rained for seven weeks when eleven-year-old Fing and her family of nine move into Nine Open Arms, along with their handcart of meagre belongings. 'The Dad' is a man who does all kinds of jobs and none of them well, while Oma Mei courageously holds everything together, including the family's history in her Crocodile bag full of pictures and stories. But as the year progresses, the family just gets poorer. Meanwhile, Fing and her two sisters, wild Muulke and fearful Jess, begin to discover strange mysteries...a bed that looks like a tombstone, an unmarked grave in the cemetery...until at last the story of those who came before begins slowly to emerge. In the end, Fing learns that love and stories are her family's wealth. Nine Open Arms is an exceptional imagined historical mystery - the story of a very special home, the eccentric families who have lived within it, and the unexpected ties that emerge between the two... 'Written with great warmth, love of life, and infectious humour.' (De Morgen - Flemish newspaper) Translated by John Nieuwenhuizen.

Marguerite's father is desperate for a son. Instead he's stuck with a feisty, stubborn, red-headed daughter who refuses to behave like a lady. This exciting medieval romance-adventure story is based on historical fact about a 14-year-old heiress to Flanders called Marguerite Van Male.

Through the long, oppressive summer after his grandfather's death, Lucas becomes aware of dark secrets surrounding the old man's activities during the war. Yet no one will speak openly to him about what happened all that time ago. Meanwhile, racial tension is growing in the neighbourhood, and Lucas is increasingly drawn to Benoit, a smooth-talking extremist who advocates action against migrant workers. And then there's Caitlin - captivating Caitlin - with her beautiful, sad dancing and her strong opinions. When tragedy strikes, Lucas must face a terrible choice. Falling is a gripping, disturbing book about the seductive power of extremism, the gulf between intentions and consequences, and the need to understand the past and take responsibility for one's actions. First published in Belgium, Falling has won six major international literary awards, topped bestseller lists across the world, and been translated into many languages. This 20th anniversary edition of the highly acclaimed classic shows that its themes of racism, neo-fascism and immigration are still as relevant as ever. 'Falling is a classic rite-of-passage novel...deeply imbued with themes of the interaction between the political and the personal...[A] challenging study of personal awareness, motivation and responsibility.' The Age