The Beggars' Penny
New York: Longmans, Green, 1943. First edition. Hardcover. First edition stated. Hardcover in tan cloth stamped in black. Illustrated endpapers. 269 pp. Illustrated with striking black and white drawings by Helen van Stockum. Very good, cloth lightly soiled. No jacket. Classic and important WW2-era young adult tale set in 16th century Holland in the besieged city of Leyden during the occupation by the Spanish. Three young Dutch patriots, representatives of three different social and religious groups, work with the local Burgomaster to aid William of Orange and the daring band called the Sea Beggars (whose secret symbol was a silver penny). One, Lysbet was a young girl sent by her father to stay in Lyden while he was away with the Sea Beggars; one of the boys, named Israel, was a Jewish refugee from Spain, had settled in Holland due to the Dutch tolerance and acceptance of the Jews. Coblentz uses the true history of the siege of Lyden to frame the story---William of Orange ordered the dikes cut, flooding the lowlands during a but allowing the Sea Beggars to sail in and save the city. Written by an American and published in the midst of World War II, the historical parallels were striking and Coblentz included a bibliography in her author's afterword. Very Good. Item #E35424
Price: $22.50