ALA Booklist

Fing, fifth-born sibling and oldest girl in her family, narrates the story of her family's arrival in their new home in the Limburg region of the Netherlands as well as the history of their house. Fing and her sisters dig into many mysteries e story behind their late mother's burial place, the reason their new house seems to be situated backward on its lot, how to get their grandmother to tell them the stories she keeps close to her chest, and so on d in the process, they uncover a mysterious tombstone-shaped headboard in the house's cellar and a blank headstone in a nearby cemetery. Set mostly in 1937, this Dutch import offers both a unique narrative construction and a host of engaging and unusual characters, all of which leaven 12-year-old Fing's account, along with regional slang that is helpfully defined in the translator's foreword. Ultimately, this is a story about storytelling, and it's sure to appeal to readers who dote on Roald Dahl or Polly Horvath and are willing to go further abroad.

Horn Book

In this Dutch import, a family of nine--hapless dreamer and cigar-maker father, tough grandmother, four almost-grown-up sons, and three younger daughters--moves into the titular house and tries to figure out its mysteries. While the setting is specific (the Dutch province of Limburg in the 1930s), the whole thing feels more like a folktale. This is a strange, somber, and oddly compelling narrative.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Twelve-year-old Fing narrates the adventure of her family-s 1937 move to the house at the end of Sjlammbams Sahara, in a fictitious Dutch town based on Lindelauf-s childhood home. Initiated by yet another business venture (this time, cigar-making) launched by Fing-s ever-optimistic father, whose mottos include -First believe, then see,- and -the opposite of worrying,- the family-s latest move brings Fing-s four older brothers, two younger sisters (dramatic Muulke and timid Jess), dreamy father, and gruff, swivel-eyed, story-telling grandmother, Oma Mei, into a house that -seemed to be bursting with voices, quarrels, footsteps, squeaking doors, creaking windows,- peculiarities, and secrets. Strong female personalities include the long-dead -Nienevee from Outside the Walls,- whose unfortunate son, the button-eating Oompah, still haunts the town fringes and pulls the family-s heartstrings. Lindelauf-s masterful rendering of fraught yet loving sisterly ties, snappy dialogue, graveyard mysteries, and -traces of a tragical tragedy- from generations past combine to humorous and poignant effect in this gripping tale of eclectic families and inveterate wanderers in search of a welcoming home. Ages 9-up. (June)

School Library Journal (Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Gr 5-8 The Boon family is down on their luck when they move into a leaky old house on the edge of town. Fing and her sisters sense the house and adjacent cemetery have a macabre past, and they defy their strong-tongued grandmother to explore the dank cellar and curious hole in the hedge. Between the mysterious house, a spitfire sister, schoolyard bullying, and their father's latest bumbling get-rich-quick scheme, nothing goes according to any sort of predictable planeither for the Boons or readers who will be drawn into their story. The translation from the original Dutch is fluid with nuanced language and tone, allowing kids to inhabit a world at once strange, engaging, and richly historical. A fine addition for large collections. Amy Koester, St. Charles City-County Library District, Wentzville, MO