The Peace rose glows a beautiful, soft yellow. A muted pink rims the petals. A hybrid tea rose, it is a hardy bloom, and its name commemorates the end of the Second World War.

Every spring, Anna Maria Alberts-Zeeman watches the rose come to life in her garden and cannot help but remember. Amsterdam in the 1930s was a fun and a safe place to live; hers was a happy childhood filled with love, laughter, and hope. She never imagined how life would change so dramatically, how she'd live the next number of years in fear, oppression, and poverty. The end of the Second World War couldn't come soon enough for the Netherlands. The people were starving. Childhoods and teen years, like Anna Maria's, were lost. Never again would she take anything for granted.

The Peace Rose is an inspiring personal story of love, hope, and faith.

Dr. Mary Vandergoot is a clinical psychologist with the Saskatoon Health Region in Saskatoon, SK and a Professional Affiliate with the Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan. She has studied and worked in the areas of educational and developmental psychology, child and family mental health, and assessment and treatment of young offenders. She is the mother of five adult children.

Mary Vandergoot's profile page

Anna Maria Alberts-Zeeman's profile page