Sweeping Away The Sand

In 1996, during Christmas break, Seattle was hit first with an uncommon two feet of snow, then by unrelenting sleet and finally with a deluge of rain. Buses and cars slid off packed-ice and flooded roads, marinas collapsed on waterfronts, houses slid into sinkholes, one teetered on the edge of Interstate 5 and travelers were stranded everywhere. Follow the members of Tjaakje Heidema's family as they wend their way to and through the storms to have a family celebration. She deftly and sensitively brings out the inner workings of their not-always-comfortable diversity in lifestyles, their multifarious faith experiences and the interplay of their personalities and ages. In addition, she has intelligently drawn on other writings and explains: why some of the Dutch collaborated with the Nazis and why others did not, what the roots of anti-Semitism were in Europe and in Christian fundamentalism at the time of World War II, what the religious history has been in India and how the death of a parent impacts on individuals and families. Ms. Heidema writes poetically and with an abiding sense of humor about why this family comes together.