Have you ever eaten tulip bulbs? I haven’t, and I’m guessing not many of you have, either. Unless you lived in the Netherlands during World War II, that is. A Google search lists quite a few edible flowers including pansies, nasturtiums and marigolds. Tulips aren’t listed. I ate a flower at a trendy restaurant once that looked something like an orchid. It didn’t have much taste. But the Dutch didn’t eat tulips because they were trendy or tasty. The people were starving and desperate, and tulips were the only food available. Actress Audrey Hepburn, who lived in Holland during the war, has told how she survived on tulip bulbs. She said they tasted terrible.
I learned these sad but interesting facts while researching my newest novel, “Chasing Shadows.” The launch date is tomorrow, June 8, by the way, and I am super excited! (Keep reading to find out how to win a free copy!) The novel tells the stories of three women who live through the Nazi invasion and occupation of the Netherlands during WWII and have to decide how they will cope. The easiest way to survive is to befriend the enemy and collaborate with them. The middle path is to bury your head in the sand and simply try to cope by giving in to their demands, no matter how evil. The most difficult choice—and one that many, many brave Dutch people chose—is to actively resist and fight back against everything the Nazis were doing. You’ll have to read the novel to find out which of the paths my main characters chose.
The Dutch people suffered terribly during the war. During the final year, the railroad workers went on strike to hinder the Nazis’ movements, but when the trains halted, food supplies couldn’t be distributed. The winter of 1944-45 was called the Hunger Winter. It’s estimated that 22,000 civilians starved to death. One of the few things available to eat were tulip bulbs, so the Dutch Office of Food Supply published a guide with recipes, telling people how to cook them. The most common way was to grate the dried bulbs and use it like flour to make bread.
Fortunately, most of us have never faced the hardships of warfare. But we can read novels like “Chasing Shadows” and try to put ourselves in the characters’ places, and imagine how we would have reacted to such extreme circumstances. I like to think I would have faced the enemy courageously, but I’ll never really know.
And yet . . . I do have an enemy who wants to defeat me and take me captive. I face a variety of challenges, large and small, every day, and must decide how I will react. Am I going to allow the enemy to discourage and defeat me? Will I get angry, give in, give up? Or will I allow Christ’s love and grace to shine through me regardless of the circumstances? Like the women in my novel, I must decide if I will surrender to the enemy, do nothing, or show love?
It seems like it has taken a lifetime for me to fully trust in God’s provision. Like the Israelites, I sometimes grumble and complain about the manna He provides, preferring the cuisine of captivity. Jesus said that if we ask our Heavenly Father for bread, He isn’t going to give us stones. But sometimes His answers to prayer seem pretty hard to swallow. Like tulip bulbs. Will I eat them without complaining? Will I be thankful for them, as the faithful Dutch people were? Until the enemy is fully defeated, it’s a decision I must remember to make every day.
To celebrate the release of “Chasing Shadows,” (and my characters who eat tulips bulbs), I’m giving away two free copies of my book. To enter to win, simply leave a response to this blog, below. If you’d like, you can tell me about any flowers you’ve eaten. (I don’t think cauliflower counts!) Enjoy!
Latest posts by Lynn Austin (see all)
- Can An Old Dog Learn New Tricks? - November 15, 2021
- A 1951 Christmas - November 1, 2021
- Researching? - October 18, 2021
Sounds like a great book! I can’t wait to read it.
Looking forward to the book. Can’t say I recall ever eating any flowers 😊
Definitely looking forward to the book!
I am on an extremely limited diet (not through choice) & it has been suggested I try using cricket flour : I cannot bring myself to do it!
With tulip bulbs having sold for as much as £10,000 in the past, people from those times could never have imagined ever eating them…
I’m looking forward to this book whether or not I win a copy. Thank you 🙂
What an interesting story!
Looking forward to reading it.
Thank you for sharing.
Have a blessed day! 💜
I am looking forward to this book! I used to read a lot of childrens books set in Holland and Denmark during WWII to my kids, so I have learned a thing or two about eating tulip bulbs. I myself as a kid ate begonia flowers on a dare. They actually tasted pretty good. And there was this belief among the neighborhood kids that when you found a lilac blossom with more than four petals, you had to make a wish and eat it. Well, that tasted bitter. But we all lived!
Your book sounds wonderful! I’d love to win a copy. Blessings to you as you continue to write stories for God’s glory.
I, too, have eaten orchids and found them good, but lacking a lot of flavor. Thanks for all the research you do that makes your books such good stories. Learning our history can, hopefully, prevent us from repeating the same mistakes. God bless you on the release of this new book baby!
This book sounds amazing! I’ve eaten things with lavender flowers in them. Lemon lavender bread is the best! I was also reading the other day that the entire honeysuckle flower is edible, not just the nectar we all tasted as kids. You can even make a nice tea out of them, but it takes about 50 or more flowers to do and I don’t have quite that much honeysuckle around my house, so might be a while before I can try that. 😉
Your cauliflower comment made me laugh, Lynn. Your book sounds wonderful!
I have enjoyed many of your books and look forward to reading this one! I love flowers and being able to use them in salads. When my kids were young, I would have them and whichever friends were over help me pick violets in the spring to eat. Good memories I had forgotten about until now! Thanks for the reminder and mental pictures it brought to mind!
We used to eat nasturtium flowers and leaves as children. They are peppery and quite tasty in sandwiches, especially blts. I have also tasted candied violet flowers— sweet but not a lot of flavor. Looking forward to your new book!
I’m so looking forward to reading your new book! One of my friends enjoyed cooking and once served us Chrysanthemum Pot. It was a brothy soup, and floating in it were crysanthemums, which we were then expected to eat. I don’t remember reacting one way or another to the flavor of the flower, so I doubt it had much flavor.
Your book will be a treasured addition to my library. My husband and I visited Holland a few years ago and toured Anne Frank’s home and Corrie ten Boom’s. Such brave and amazingly people. Thank you, Lynn for researching and writing this new book.
I’ve eaten nasturtiums in a pretty salad and as decoration on a cupcake.
I think I’ve tasted a nasturtium used as a garnish. It was peppery tasting. I always thought tulip bulbs were poisonous but that may be daffodil bulbs. The characters in your book sound courageous. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
As with many others, I’m looking forward to reading your new book. I have enjoyed reading more than a handful of books about women and WWII in the past year and learned something from each of them.
I love flowers but will be content to grow and not eat. 😅
Hey Lynn, wow, I didn’t realize Audrey lived in Holland. Love her and thankful she survived. The only flower I remember eating was Gardenias. The church I was raised in had bushes/shrubs of them and we found out they were edible so ate some. They are tasty! I can’t wait to read your book!!!
I’m so excited to read this book, especially because I live in the Netherlands! Although there are many books in Dutch about World War Two, I found that in other languages there aren’t that many novels about the Netherlands in wartime, so I’m really happy that you have written one. I know that Melanie Dobson has written one too. I haven’t eaten any flowers if you don’t count nettles.
Congratulations on your new release! As a kid, I had friends who fried dandelions and ate them. They said it tasted great but I was never brave enough to try it.
Flowers are definitely beyond my normal palate! Looking forward to your new book!
I don’t think I’ve eaten flowers before, except maybe dandelions. I am reading the book God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew who lived in Holland during WWII, and he talks some about the food shortage. (He didn’t go into great detail.) I have nothing but respect and admiration for the Dutch people’s resistance and resilience during that time.
I have a copy of this book and just read the part about eating tulips. This is a heart wrenching and wonderful story. So many take aways! ( don’t enter me) . I hope many people read this book. We need to remember what hardships people went through during this horrible war. Not sweep everything under the carpet and ignore history! I pray we don’t have to go through this again in our modern world.
A beautifully written book. Thanks Lynn! Blessings.
Sunflower seeds come the closest to eating flowers for me! Congratulations on your new book launch.
In the late 50’s we had a housekeeper who was from Belgium. She taught me about being thankful. She had been a war bride and suffered so much in the war. My late brother advised me to read your books and I think of him each time I read your books. Thank you for helping me remember those that sacrificed for our freedom!
Oh, rats! I wanted to say cauli-flower! LOL. Congratulations on your new book! I would not like to have to eat tulip bulbs to survive. I have eaten pansies I think, lavender as well. But usually I just enjoy looking at and smelling flowers. 🙂
I have never eaten any flowers except icing flowers on cakes. 🙂 Your book sounds wonderful. I really enjoy stories set in the WWII era. I can’t wait to be able to read this one.
I’ve never eaten any flowers. Love your books!
Very interesting read! I didn’t know that tulips were eatable. Would love to win your new book!!
This reminds me of the story my friend told me of her experience in Holland during the war. As the oldest child in her family, she’s answered the door to a neighbor and when asked where mom and dad were, said they were in bed. The neighbor discovered the parents had been feeding the children including their own portion of food. As a result mom and dad became so weak, they couldn’t function. In essence, they had gone to bed to die. The neighbor went to the neighborhood to gather anything she could, a piece of carrot or potato, maybe a tiny piece of meat. She then made soup from her gatherings, brought it to the house insisting the parents eat it all. There was enough to bring strength to the parents to survive the war.
There is sequel to the story making it extra special in God’s provision. Mom died at age 104 many years later.
I haven’t ever eaten a flower, but I’ve heard dandelions are supposed to be good for you and that you can eat the whole thing, flower and stem. I just haven’t ever really wanted to test that thought 🙂 . Thanks for the chance to win!
Well, it’s always nice to meet another Lynn-without-an-e. : ) I’m familiar with some of the WWII history of the Dutch people, and have always been in awe of their bravery in the midst of such evil. I look forward to reading your new book! I’ve only eaten nasturtiums as well, Flowers seem too beautiful to eat!
I haven’t eaten any real flowers – just frosting flowers. 😉 Your book sounds so interesting! Historical fiction is my favorite genre so I’m excited to read your book! Thanks for the opportunity to win your new book!!
Thank you for sharing these historical facts about the Dutch people during WWII. I was not aware of the starvation they faced and how they had to resort to eating tulip bulbs. I have never eaten any flowers, at least not that I know. Chasing Shadows sounds like a must-read.
I read the ARC and loved it!
I’ve eaten flowers (pansies maybe?). Nothing to write home about.
Lady Lynn, thank you for sharing your writing talents & research with us!! I have a vague memory of tasting a flower as a kid… and then spitting it out. 😝 Other then having some mixed in teas, flowers have not been a part of any meals. I sooo look forward to reading your newest novel! 🥰📚
This book looks really interesting!
I look forward to this book.
I am of Dutch descent and have admired Cory ten Boom for years.
The only flowers I have eaten were on salads like pansies.
I don’t think I’ve eaten any flowers! I do grow chives & right now the purple blossoms are beautiful!
Do Dandelions count?? Well, it was actually dandelion leave that my mother would cook when I was young and we lived on a farm.
Do Dandelions count?? Well, it was actually the leaves of them that my mother would cook in a cream sauce when I was young and we lived on a farm.
I don’t think I’ve eaten any flowers.
Enjoyed the interesting and educational post on this day after the D-Day anniversary. My parents used to talk a great deal about the war, as they felt history was very important. I have read and enjoyed a number of your other books, and this newest release sounds fascinating. Cauliflower is the closest I have come to eating a flower! At least here in the US there was only food rationing but not widespread abject hunger like in many countries which suffered occupation or battles.
A long time ago, I ate a salad that had pansy flowers sprinkled on the top. Like you, I didn’t think they had any taste.
WWII has always been a great interest of mine. My dad and two uncles served in the war, my aunt went to work in an airplane factory. When I was growing up, almost all my friend’s dad or other relative had been a part of the war. I really appreciate author’s like you who write about the war. It is both entertaining and educational for us all. Keep up your great work, blessings!!
Not sure I have. Possibly, violets.,
I have eaten violets. We would probably be amazed at what we would eat if we were truly starving.
I look forward reading your new book! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a flower!
Last summer I made scones and added some of my homegrown lavender. That’s the only time I remember eating flowers. Thanks for the chance to win Chasing Shadows. I always enjoy reading your books.
I don’t think I’ve ever eaten any kind of flower or bulb!
Your book sounds really good (as always)! You don’t often hear about the Netherlands during WWII (or at least I don’t), so thank you for shining a light on these brave people! Thanks for the giveaway!
The book sounds fantastic! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a flower in the past, unless you count dandelion greens.
Extremely interesting fact about eating tulip bulbs during WWII! This made me want to read your novel even more.
I haven’t eaten any flowers, unless they’re the icing-on-the -cake kind! Happy Release!
I remember my high school French teacher ordered sugar coated rose petals for us to try. I think she said that they were from France. The taste was very much like a rose smells. I’ve also had honeysuckle fresh from the vine.
My first real life impression of Europe was flying into the airport in Amsterdam in the spring and seeing all the beautiful fields of tulips. Looking forward to reading Chasing Shadows.
I don’t think I’ve knowingly eaten any flowers!
We are certainly blessed to live in this day and age that we do, though I know there are still many who are hungry in our nation.
I have not eaten flowers except for honeysuckle as a child. However, if I had a limited supply of food, I imagine I would be happy to eat whatever flowers I could get. Can’t wait to read your book!
I have never eaten flowers except for honeysuckles either. I can imagine if you are starving you will try almost anything. I read a book of some missionaries that were kidnapped and their captors let them go so long without food that when they came to a river they grabbed fish and ate them without cleaning or cooking them. She survived but her husband passed away as they were being rescued. They had a few other people that were kidnapped along with them. I can’t remember the name of the book.
I think the closest I’ve come to eating a flower is having dandelion tea…