Gladys Malvern

Eric's Girls: a Story of New Amsterdam Gladys Malvern

For Janie and Henrietta (called Henry), life was one long stretch of working on a farm in the wilderness of 17th century Connecticut. There were few neighbors, no friends their own age, and their father was still mourning the loss of his wife. But miles away lay the town of New Amsterdam on the island of Manhattan, a bustling place with new experiences and a more hopeful future for all of them. So Eric and his girls left for New Amsterdam, where his daughters might find suitors, and he might find work.

However, New Amsterdam was not without its dangers. As The Netherlands and England fought over who owned what parts of the New World, this rapidly growing and prosperous town of Dutch and English settlers were led by the dynamic Pieter van Stuyvesant, Old Silver Leg, who would not easily give up his town to the demands of the British. Janie, Henry and their new friends would live through frightening days in the year 1664 as the Dutch and English forces made preparations to fight for the island.