Siebren could hardly believe it when his mother said he could go with Grandfather to visit his great-aunt who lived in an old monastery far inland. In his whole life Siebren had never been farther than the next village!

Their walk at night from Weirom, which was on the seacoast, to the lonely marsh where his great-aunt lived was full of imaginary as well as real dangers. And Siebren's visit, which was climaxed by a tornado, turned out to be one he would never forget. What Siebren learns about people, about fear, and about love and the surprise he finds awaiting him on his return to Peppermint Street make his journey truly memorably.

Meindert DeJong's warm story, set in Holland in the early 1900's, vividly expresses the feelings and emotions of a sensitive boy encountering new experiences and situations. The charming descriptive illustrations by Emily Arnold McCully wonderfull complement this moving book.

From the dust jacket