H. van Brakel, Ing. B.O.W. : Oorspronkelijke roman

In a modest Dutch household, the evening routine unfolds with quiet precision. Engineer Van Brakel returns home after a long day at the Waterstaat, his mind still tangled in the endless stream of newspaper articles about bureaucratic projects. His wife Lucie, a tireless and capable housewife, tends to the children—two lively twins and a growing brood—while the cramped rooms fill with the mingled scents of tobacco, brandy, and the inevitable aromas of a bustling family.

The novel captures the everyday challenges of balancing professional ambition with domestic responsibilities in the early twentieth‑century Netherlands. Van Brakel’s growing detachment from his work and his yearning for the social scene outside the office contrast sharply with Lucie’s steadfast devotion to home and children. Their partnership, marked by affection and mutual respect, is tested by the pressures of a large family, financial constraints, and the subtle expectations of society, setting the stage for a portrait of ordinary lives navigating extraordinary demands.