The drowning room

Set during the terrible winter of 1642, in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, this haunting and evocative novel, based on fact, tells of Gretje Reyniers, a feisty, complex woman who makes her own unconventional way. "Pye captures in earthy detail the muck and mire of both the old and new Amsterdams, and the occasional flicker of gilt as well".--"Washington Post".