Johanna Van Leeuwen Sepe

Night Island Johanna Van Leeuwen Sepe

Johanna van Leeuwen Sepe was born in the Netherlands in 1939. Her story begins in the early years of her childhood through the Second World War. As Johanna's story unfolds, we learn the turmoil that ensued, and how she is transformed by a situation beyond her control or understanding. As a child, Johanna is forced to not only struggle with the horrors of war; but also, a personal truth that makes the Second World War even more terrible for a little girl to bear. This became her secret. While she tries to cope with the truth, she falls into a depression and searches for a way to cope with post war poverty and her secret. Johanna searches, until she starts dancing. Through dancing her life becomes bearable. As she finds dance and friends and develops relationships, Johanna decides to keep her secret hidden. Can Johanna really find happiness while carrying the weight of her past?