The story of an epic relationship which had no right to exist in the first place - let alone to develop into a devoted marriage and love affair.
Johanna (Hanny) Dooyeweerd, a beautiful Dutch girl whose father was one of Europe's foremost philosophers, lived in splendour with her large family in a six-storey house in Amsterdam. They lived through its occupation by the Nazis, the savage Hunger Winter, and took incredible risks to support the Dutch resistance.
Robert Francis, an impoverished south Walian farmer, who lived in a tumbledown farm building which lacked even curtains, met Hanny by outrageous fortune. They fell in love almost immediately, to the utter consternation of her family.
But after a high-profile society wedding in Amsterdam, Hanny and Bob settled down to try to make a success of farming and eventually family life.
It was never easy; life remained a battle against the elements and fortune. But it was all underpinned by graft, humour and the unbreakable bond.
In private, over the years, and unknown to her family, Hanny was writing about her life. She passed away in 2021, but not before she had completed her remarkable story.
