PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
Jeska Verstegen is an author and illustrator living in Amsterdam. She is a descendant of Emanuel Querido, the revolutionary Jewish-Dutch publisher who was captured and killed by the Nazis in World War II. Jeska began her career in 1990 as an illustrator for magazines and children's books. The white sheet of paper feels to her like a stage where you can perform any role, and one day she decided to paint pictures with words as well. Writing I'll Keep You Close reacquainted her with herself and also gave her a new colour palette of diligently chosen words. I'll Keep You Close is her debut novel, based on the true story of her own family history.
'Translated from Dutch, this is a harrowing but beautiful read, rendered in short chapters and sparing yet poetic prose. It's a wonderful stepping stone for young readers into the world both of literary and historical fiction, as well as raising talking points about World War II and racial injustice.' Sydney Morning Herald
