The Works of Lara

A layered historical novel that seamlessly links historical facts to human emotions.
The Works of Lara by author Herman De Jonghe is a layered and well-written novel that masterfully interweaves history and contemporary suspense.
Before the book, there are two illustrations, namely: 'The abbey of Tongerlo as it looked before the French revolutionaries gave it up to demolition' and 'The siege of Westerlo Castle in 1583.'
Then, in the first chapter, you read about Fons De Winter, who after years receives an unexpected visit from his granddaughter Lara. It soon becomes clear that she is on the run from her dangerous lovers and is looking for a hiding place.
While hiding, Lara comes across an old, mysterious manuscript from 1584, written by a certain Hannes.
This fifteenth-century document brings to light a gripping and heartbreaking conflict between Hannes and his beloved brother, set against the backdrop of the Spanish occupation years and the brutal oppression of the local population.
As Lara throws herself wholeheartedly into the translation to give her life a new turn, her pursuers draw ever closer. The question arises: will she manage to stay out of the hands of her pursuers, with the help of Fons' hated brother Ivo, and can the old manuscript glue back together the broken bonds of the present?
The two storylines, one in the present tense with chapters and another set in the past with constant references to 'the book', alternate and reinforce each other while reading. The author has done this very cleverly. This greatly enhances the reading pleasure.
De Jonghe brings life during the Spanish occupation vividly to the page. You feel like a bit player in history yourself, partly due to the impressive attention to seemingly small side details that give the historical context a vivid colouring.

'Not long after your visit, news reached us from Brussels that a large band of soldiers had come down from the north of the duchy, which, taking advantage of the confusion in the Spanish army, was conquering town after town. Turnhout was in their sights, Herentals had already opened its gates. The letters did not mince words, there was panic among the Spaniards.'

The novel draws a subtle but highly effective comparison with the biblical story of Cain and Abel to depict the destructive dynamics of fraternal conflict. Before the book, the author cites a passage from Genesis, 4:8, about Cain and Abel.

'He had the choice. The break or the credit. And he chose his wife's side, without really knowing what had happened between the two, without wanting to know about that hotel room, and that was their Abel and Cain moment, then it was over between him and Fons, the door closed forever, they banished each other from their world.
And now there was suddenly a bridge between them, a bridge called Lara, which he did not want to burn.'

The author's background in education clearly pays off. De Jonghe succeeds brilliantly in conveying a complex historical era and the often-forgotten role of abbey residents (such as in the Abbey of Tongerlo) in an accessible, instructive way.
De Werken van Lara is more than a gripping story; it is a novel that seamlessly links historical facts to human emotions such as guilt, family ties and reconciliation. An absolute must-read for lovers of historical fiction with depth.

The author
Herman De Jonghe lives in Westerlo, under the tower of the Abbey of Tongerlo, and debuted in 2008 with the cycling novel Koppenbergblues. He afterwards published books in various genres and wrote for the theatre. Writing has always been in his blood.
De Werken van Lara is his ninth novel.
For more information, also take a look at his website.
Earlier I read from Herman De Jonghe: Vermoedens
You can buy De Werken van Lara at (the online shop of) your local bookshop or at:
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Bruna.nl
Libris
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Book details
Title: De Werken van Lara
Author: Herman De Jonghe
Genre: novel
Edition: paperback, 362 pages
Publisher: Schrijverspunt, August 2026
ISBN: 9789462668249
NUR: 301

A FASCINATING, WELL-RESEARCHED PROJECTION OF A HISTORICAL EVENT

++ 'It was raining mercilessly again that morning, the water dripped from our cape, soaked through our stockings and ran into our boots, the horses slipped in the mud and threatened to drag us into the moat' ++

Original title: De werken van Lara
ISBN: 978 94 626 6824 9
Published by: Uitgeverij Schrijverspunt
Pages: 355
Translation:
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️, ½ ⭐️
The Flemish author Herman De Jonghe worked in education until 2002. He held various positions there and ended his working life as a school principal. It then took until 2008 before he made his debut with Koppenbergblues. Several books by his hand followed, including Ondergrond, which was nominated for the Flemish Hercule Poirot Prize.
Because his life was for a large part devoted to teaching young people, it is not so strange that a work by his hand appears that has education as its common thread. He knows the ins and outs of the world of education like no other, without thereby implying that what happens in his book 'Vermoedens' can serve as a standard for education. Building on the educational value of his written works, the recently published De werken van Lara also takes a prominent place.
In the abbey of Tongerlo, an old, walled-in book is found. The book ends up with Fons De Winter, who has temporarily been entrusted with it by Father Felix of the abbey. When he unexpectedly receives a visit from his granddaughter Lara, it doesn't take long before the young woman discovers the book. After looking at the inside, she becomes enthusiastic and suggests translating the content, which was written in the late sixteenth century, into modern language that is easy to read. Fons agrees on the condition that the book will not leave the house. That is no problem, as Lara had planned to stay with her grandfather for some time. What the reason is for the unexpected visit remains unknown for now...
Afterwards, increasingly translated passages from the book follow, describing the situation in the second half of the sixteenth century. The book was written by Hannes Van der Meulen and its content is addressed to his brother Claas.
When, after a short time, Lara's boyfriend, Maarten Westhoven, presents himself, Fons becomes very curious about what is going on, especially since Maarten also moves in with him. The translated pieces of text reach Fons in parts, and he reads the history of the situation in that period.
When Lara suddenly disappears, a package is left behind on the table, but the book is not in it; Lara has taken it with her after all...

++ 'The farmhouse door had been torn from its hinges and lay a little further on a heap of rubbish, the windows were smashed, there were holes in the roof where crows flew in and out, thistles and other weeds grew everywhere, also in the once so neat herb garden' ++

The two storylines unfold in parallel. On one side is the historical story about life at the start of the Eighty Years' War in the region of Tongerlo and Westerlo, and on the other is Lara's life. The historical story is, however, the dominant one. As a former teacher, De Jonghe's didactic talent almost visibly flows out of him when he tells the history of, among others, Hannes. Against the backdrop of the Spanish occupation and the oppression of the population in those years, the author manages to put a vivid story on paper, in which his readers can imaginatively walk around as interested extras. Detailed, with much attention to seemingly less important side matters, which he transforms into useful color for life in that time.
Although the author does not claim to be a historian, the basis of the story provides valuable information about the life the population endured in that period, and about the role the abbey's residents played in it. The comparison of the biblical Cain and Abel is depicted here in a simple but effective way.
In short, the novel The Works of Lara is a very well-written historical novel, underpinned by solid research by the author. The didactic value of this story, alongside entertainment, also makes it an ideal combination for conveying an important phase of history to its readers. And here too the author has once again fully succeeded.
Final verdict: 3.5 stars
Suspense: 3 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Reading pleasure: 4 stars
Writing style: 4 stars
Originality: 3 stars
Psychology: 3 stars
(Wat Cees leest - Cees van Rhienen)