Jacqueline of the Carrier Pigeons

In 1574, the Spanish army has encircled the Dutch city of Leiden, cutting off all escape routes. Inside the starving walls, two children watch the sky. Jacqueline and her younger brother Gysbert have trained their beloved carrier pigeons for years, and now these birds may be the city's only link to the outside world. When Leiden's magistrates need someone to send messages past enemy lines, the siblings step forward, their pigeons carrying desperate pleas for aid to the rebel fleet waiting beyond the dikes. Jacqueline must protect her eager young brother while both risk everything for their besieged city. Seaman weaves a stirring tale of courage under siege, showing how even children can play a vital part in the fight for freedom. The bond between the siblings anchors the story amid the chaos of war, while the pigeons serve as living symbols of hope when all seems lost. This is historical adventure at its most evocative: a story of ordinary people, young and old, who chose resistance over surrender.