Forging Freedom

What do you do when you see your friends, your neighbors, your teachers, and your classmates being taken away by Nazi soldiers? For Jaap Penraat there was no choice. He knew he must act quickly as the Nazis tightened their stranglehold on Amsterdam's Jewish community. This true story of heroism tells how Jaap's creative thinking and nerves of steel enabled him to rescue over 400 of his countrymen from the Nazi terror.

Hudson had been close friends with Jaap Penraat for over twelve years when he discovered Jaap's amazing story by chance, while listening to a local radio program. Jaap had never mentioned his heroic past to Hudson but was now being honored by the Israeli government. Although the grim subject matter was daunting for Hudson, he felt compelled to capture his friend's story as an example to show young readers how much difference one person can make.