The Cost of Sugar
Cynthia McLeod · 1987
About this book
Set in 18th-century Suriname, this novel follows two sisters navigating the brutality of the Dutch plantation system. It is the most important literary work about Dutch colonial slavery, written by a Surinamese author whose perspective challenges the European-centered view of Dutch history.
Why read this for language learning
"The Cost of Sugar" is an important read for intermediate Dutch learners, offering a compelling historical narrative. McLeod's clear and engaging prose provides accessible vocabulary related to colonial life, slavery, and social dynamics in Suriname. It offers crucial cultural and historical insights into the Dutch colonial past in Suriname, shedding light on the brutal realities of slavery and the resilience of its people. This book is excellent for expanding Dutch comprehension while gaining a deeper understanding of a significant aspect of Dutch colonial history and its legacy.
Vocabulary you will encounter
Start reading in Dutch
Upload any page from The Cost of Sugar and get sentence-by-sentence translations, grammar notes, and vocabulary building — free.
Start reading for freeMore dutch books
The Assault
Harry Mulisch · 1982
A boy's family is murdered by the Nazis in retaliation for a resistance killing, and the trauma follows him through decades of postwar Dutch life. This internationally acclaimed novel explores how the Netherlands has processed its wartime experience of occupation, collaboration, and guilt.
The Darkroom of Damocles
Willem Frederik Hermans · 1958
A man may or may not have a doppelganger who recruited him into the Dutch resistance, in a novel that questions whether heroism and treason can ever be distinguished. Hermans captures the moral chaos of the German occupation that haunts Dutch national memory.
The Evenings
Gerard Reve · 1947
A young man drifts through ten days of boredom, petty cruelty, and existential dread in postwar Amsterdam. This debut novel defined the mood of an entire generation of Dutch youth and established the unsentimental, darkly comic voice that characterizes modern Dutch fiction.
The Diary of a Young Girl
Anne Frank · 1947
A Jewish girl's diary written while hiding from the Nazis in an Amsterdam annex became one of the most read books in history. It is inseparable from Dutch identity, a testament to both the persecution Jews faced and the courage of the Dutch who risked their lives to help.