Additional information
by Joanna Van Der Gracht De Rosado (Author)
Gisèle van Waterschoot van der Gracht and the people she hid in her apartment during the World War II occupation of Amsterdam endured tremendous hardship. Shortly after the liberation of Amsterdam by the Allied Forces, Gisèle met a Canadian Army private who happened to also be her cousin. He brought food to the apartment, and a lifelong friendship ensued. After the war, Gisèle became well-known as a painter and stained-glass artist. She traveled extensively and never allowed difficulty to stand in the way of what she felt needed to be done. Her bravery was formally recognized by the Netherlands, Germany, and Israel. She died in 2013 at the age of 100. Circles is a family memoir. Beginning with the stories told by the author's father-the Canadian soldier Gisele met in Amsterdam in 1945-it continues with other friends' and relatives' tales about the artist's long, extraordinary life.
Author Biography
Joanna van der Gracht de Rosado has written two books about cultural adaptation to life in Mexico as well as a novel that showcases Yucatan and Mexico City. Additionally, Joanna has contributed to short story anthologies, and she blogs at www.writingfrommerida.com As a child growing up in North Vancouver, BC, Canada, she loved listening to her grandfather's tales about his Dutch boyhood and his geological explorations to faraway lands. At an early age, she made up her mind to travel as much as she could. Joanna taught English in Peru and trekked through South America. She visited Europe, and saw still more of the world while working for a Canadian airline. She met her husband, Jorge Rosado, in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico-where they made their home, and raised their family.
