A View of the Ocean

Sadly, Jan de Hartog is gone. The Quaker, pacifist, advocate of the poor and eloquent author passed away in 2002 at age 88. But this final little memoir ranks among his most powerful works -- and is likely to remain one of his most enduring affirmations of the pain and the triumph in a life of faith. The text itself fills only 99 pages, but you won't forget what you read in these pages. If you're not familiar with de Hartog: He was a key figure in Dutch resistance during World War II. A book he wrote about the tough life of commercial sailors along the Dutch coast became a huge source of pride during the war. He was involved in the Resistance and made dramatic war-time journeys, risking his life. Later, he moved to the U.S., began writing in English, became a Quaker -- and lived a literary life that crossed into social justice causes a number of times. So, given the larger-than-life figure he cut on the global stage, what's remarkable here is to discover the complex -- and often flawed -- way that he came to terms with his own parents. This is a spiritual struggle we all face, isn't it? And de Hartog takes us into extremely challenging territory here as he describes his difficult choices when his mother was near the very end of her life. How many of us have faced similar choices with loved ones? Just as he did in earlier works, de Hartog wrote this memoir in plain, honest tones. And -- just when we think, as readers, that we can hardly stand to follow him another page through this journey -- he opens our vision. In the end -- there is, indeed, "a view of the ocean." I won't spoil the book by telling you where this window opens for us, as readers. But this is a book that millions will experience as much-needed spiritual nourishment.

Jan de Hartog is something like the Hemingway of Holland without the swagger and theatrics. His style is unaffected and his eye observational more than analytical. He wrote gripping novels about WWII. After emigrating to the US, he became a playwright and had noted successes on Broadway. So he always had his sights on the popular forms of literature and writing -- yet there is no cheapness, no sentimentality (at least in the novels). Now we have his wonderful, brief memoir about his parents. It is riveting, deeply felt, deliverd with simplicity. There's an interesting piece on this book and de Hartog at www.ronslate.com.