One afternoon in June of 1944, a German officer knocked loudly at the door of the Vanderheyden family home. “Open up! Open this door immediately!” Suddenly, the war invaded my house and my backyard. At eleven years old, I began my own private “war games” against our occupiers, games of troubling discoveries that continue to shape me today. But my family and I found the road to peace four years later when Traudi, a little German girl, knocked softly at our door.

Kees Vanderheyden was born in Tilburg, in the Netherlands. His family chose to emigrate to Canada in 1954 because of the Canadians who had liberated their country in 1944. Today, most of his family lives in the Toronto region. For his part, Kees chose to live in Quebec. He went to elementary school and college in Holland, and completed his education in Ottawa and Montréal. He was a professor, journalist and planner. Kees Vanderheyden worked for Radio-Québec for 25 years, and was essentially responsible for planning and development. For more than a year, he has been the director of the Mont St-Hilaire nature center. His life is focused on two major centers of attraction: children and nature.

Kind of book: Memories of a Dutch schoolboy

For a playful and happy child, war sometimes looks like a game played by adults that scares but also fascinates kids. The trucks, the tanks, the planes, the dogfights, the strong and fearless soldiers, the relative chaos, the tricks to deceive the enemy, they all create a captivating world for a young, naive boy. But this book shows how, in this big game, sooner or later, death rears its head and horrors fill the heart.

“This book is magic, written with great sensitivity and truthfulness. It offers no moral conclusions or rosy lessons. From the first page to the last, it is filled with lively and colorful anecdotes. Some are suspenseful, and many are very touching.” André Duchesne, L’hebdo L’œil Régional

“The stories touch us because they have the lightness of youth and at the same time they don’t hide the historical truth that one dares not always tell as an adult.” Voir magazine, book section