Lost in the Fog.org
Lost in the Fog
Available now!

by Rachel Van Meers as told to Daniel Chase

Lost in the Fog is the courageous story of Rachel Van Meers, born in a home for unwed mothers in the city of Ghent Belgium, in 1930. Raised in the Flemish working-class by her strict grandmother, two aunts, and three uncles, Rachel recounts her struggles growing up a bastard in Belgium during the Great Depression. When the war broke out, Belgium was quickly taken over by Germany, and the people were left to fend for themselves against the overwhelming occupying forces and shattering Allied air strikes. Rachel's family remained loyal to Belgium, but her mother joined the SS. When a violent argument erupted between Rachel and her Nazi-sympathizing stepfather, she was sent to a child labor camp in Germany and later returned to witness Belgium in tatters after the war. Now a strong spirited young woman, she refused to go the way of her mother, or give in to the brutal attacks of her stepfather. She was eventually able to sustain her independence from her family and emigrate to America in 1961.

This is a rare look at Belgium during an era of upheaval; a frank, down-to-earth narrative based on hundreds of hours of taped interviews. Rachel's view of a "not-quite-normal" family, her amazing strength in the face of abusive, degrading treatment at a time when being a bastard was like bearing the mark of Cain, are told in a unique way which is at once both inspiring and not without humor.

“... a fascinating mix of horror, survival and dogged determination, this book is hard to put down.”—Publisher's Weekly

"... the poor young woman’s view of the powerful at home and at war is a side of history rarely told. And more than that, her enduring bond with her mother is unforgettable."Booklist

"Lost in the Fog is definitely a good read... Rachel's style is colloquial and often funny, despite the grim facts she relates... once I started reading it, I could not stop."—Gazette Van Detroit

Amazon: Lost in the Fog

Home | News | Meet Rachel Blog | Contact

© 2008 Daniel Chase. All rights reserved.
This site was designed by Omega-Webdesigns a division of PCSOMEGA
Recommended Resolution: 1024x768 or higher. Optimal Resolution: 1280x1024

Powered by WebRing.