Flanders, 1635.
After her aunt Clara was executed as a witch and her hut was burned down, fifteen-year-old Nelle de Vos was given shelter by the old Agripus and his grandson Wiete. With them she finds peace, security and love again. The world laughs at her, especially now that she is probably pregnant and together with Wiete she is going to play a puppet show at the fairs in the surrounding villages. But the Catholics, under pressure from the village pastors and the bishops, are becoming increasingly stricter and bolder against these devilish artists, while the call of the Great Adventure sounds louder in the ears of Nelle and Wiete. Moreover, after a performance, they meet Rikkert and his spirited sister Mona, who plan to sail with a merchant ship to Turkey, where the morals are much less strict, the sun shines all year round and puppeteer players are on their hands behave. Reason enough to make the hearts of Nelle and Wiete beat faster, despite the stories about Barbary pirates who reportedly earn a lot of money by selling white slaves and slaves at sea.
Nelle, Blankgoud is the sequel to the multi-award winning book Nelle, The Witch of Cruysem, but can also be read separately.