We Followed the Stars to Canada: A Dutch Family Finds a New Homeland

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

We Followed the Stars to Canada is a fascinating account of a Dutch
immigrant family’s journey to Canada. Author Debi van de Wiel draws on
real-life experiences in examining the reasons why families like her
fictional characters, the Donkers, decided to emigrate. She describes in
detail the preparations for the journey, the difficulty at leaving
friends and loved ones, and the eight-day journey by ship to Halifax.
Little-known facts are included, such as the rule that adults were
permitted to take only $100 each in cash with them. Children were
allowed $75 each.

The story of the Donkers—a family over-whelmed by new sights and
sounds, foods, and customs—and their struggle to adapt to a whole new
way of life is exciting and touching. Little has been written about the
peoples who have helped to make the multicultural nation that is Canada.
Debi van de Wiel’s account of just one family helps to fill that void
and as such would be a valuable addition to history and multiculturalism
library collections. Highly recommended.