A BRIDGWATER author has had her first book published.

Helmi Wolff has written Mientje, a story set in World War Two, in Nazi-occupied Holland and recorded by a little girl.

Mientje had a cosy life until it was disturbed badly by the invasion on the Netherlands.

Her father and eldest brother were taken, forcefully, by the Gestapo to do hard labour in Germany.

Her courageous, inventive and loving mother was left to keep the remaining family together in these impossibly hard times.

Mientje's schooling was fraught with difficulties, as the school was commandeered for the German soldiers. Her life before was now shattered by the cruel war.

The joyous liberation of her hometown by the British and Canadian forces was tremendous, yet an even greater surprise was in store for them.

A spokesperson for the publisher said: "Wilhelmina Helmi Wolff was born in Holland before World War Two, the youngest of seven children.

"She was educated there before moving to Oxford as an au pair in 1953 where she started her career in medicine as a specialised nurse.

"She later fulfilled her ambition as an artist."

Helmi is married with three children.

Her family encouraged her to write this book which is based on facts and real situations.

The ISBN number is 978-1-84897-352-7 and the book is priced at £9.99.