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Dutched Up!: Rocking the Clogs Expat Style
Dutched Up! is a compilation of stories from Expat Women Bloggers living in the Netherlands. The book covers a wide range of topics about everyday life as seen through the eyes of a foreigner. Some are funny. Others have a wealth of professional information. Yet other stories are sad, shocking or surprising.
There is one thing we can guarantee about this book. If you have ever lived in the Netherlands, at least one story in it will resonate with you. In all likelihood, there are a lot of stories that will sound familiar and have you nodding your head in agreement or shaking it in shared frustration. This book will help you appreciate the many moments of beauty, learning and growing.
Dutched Up! is a collection of tales by some pretty amazing women who have learned to rock their clogs, expat style.
There is one thing we can guarantee about this book. If you have ever lived in the Netherlands, at least one story in it will resonate with you. In all likelihood, there are a lot of stories that will sound familiar and have you nodding your head in agreement or shaking it in shared frustration. This book will help you appreciate the many moments of beauty, learning and growing.
Dutched Up! is a collection of tales by some pretty amazing women who have learned to rock their clogs, expat style.
- GenresNonfiction
232 pages, Paperback
First published November 9, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 19, 2014
As I am soon to be an expat in The Netherlands, if found this book to be incredibly helpful with preparing myself for the cultural differences and all written in a way where I felt I was sharing a coffee with a girlfriend and her knowledge was being passed on. No doubt, I will reread this many times!
September 26, 2015
An amusing and witty read. Helpful hints about the ups and downs of living in a foreign country.
April 19, 2023
Really enjoyed this compilation of short stories sharing the experiences and perspectives of international women who have moved to the Netherlands. The book was divided up in to different phases & themes of experiences here. A lot of their feelings and observations were quite relatable, as I remembered back to my own experiences and feelings over 16 years ago upon moving to the NL, many feelings of which have been dulled/forgotten with time. I enjoyed the varying writing styles and (sarcastic) humor. Although I am still here, the final few entries about leaving and saying goodbye were particularly meaningful to me. I am also honored to have met three of these authors in real life, but probably already at least 10 years ago I the earlier days of integration and friend seeking. Time flies by, but stopping to reflect back on how far we've come is something we all should do from time to time. Glad I found this book.
March 8, 2025
Expats tell all about moving to The Netherlands
My husband and I lived in Best, The Netherlands, one year with our green and yellow bikes. They were never stolen, but I gave up using the two child seats on my bike (one with a tiny windshield for the baby) for a red and white double stroller. That was never stolen, either, but at least I never crashed. Walking worked just fine.
These enjoyable and humorous stories brought back many memories!
My husband and I lived in Best, The Netherlands, one year with our green and yellow bikes. They were never stolen, but I gave up using the two child seats on my bike (one with a tiny windshield for the baby) for a red and white double stroller. That was never stolen, either, but at least I never crashed. Walking worked just fine.
These enjoyable and humorous stories brought back many memories!
April 20, 2025
stories to relate to and to have a giggle
December 1, 2014
What is it about?
Various female bloggers from the North America, Australia, the UK, the Philippines, India, Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Greece and Nigeria share snippets from their lives as expats in the Netherlands. With topics ranging from the ubiquitous bikes to the Dutch obsession with “doing normal” to food and shopping, birthdays, doctors and even childbirth.
Who is it for?
For any expat that is thinking of or has already joined their Dutch partner here or is thinking of coming to the Netherlands to live. Personally, I would read the book before coming and probably not understand a lot of it (for example most of the Dutch language references are not translated) and then read it again after I have been here a while and then TOTALLY get it!
Who wrote it?
A list of the authors can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/Dutched-Up-Rock... and at other sites selling the book. They are all female bloggers with existing sites and I like that the book lets you know about their blogs, so that if you are more interested in crocheting or food or being a (young) mother in the Netherlands, or any of the other topics they specialise in, or just if you enjoy one of the writing styles more than the other, you know where to go.
What did I think of it?
Although it is a good book for dipping into, depending on what topic you want to tackle that day, I read it in one go in a morning and literally laughed out loud , cried, tut-tutted and just recognized so much. Although the book touches on the standard “circle parties”, Dutch “directness” and of course biking, and the “gggggggggggg sound”, it manages to escape the clichés and by providing such personal stories, it gives a fresh take on things.
All the writers are female and as far as I can tell the vast majority are mothers which tends to slant the book ‘s take on things a bit.
The writing styles vary (although the overall quality is very good), which makes it more personal and also allows for everybody to find something that appeals.
If you are feeling a little lost and alone as a “foreigner” to the country this is a wonderful book full of others who “get it”. Even if you are fully dutched up and rocking your own clogs in a big way, you will be able to have a good laugh and a cry over this book and maybe be introduced to some fabulous new blogs to follow at the same time.
Various female bloggers from the North America, Australia, the UK, the Philippines, India, Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Greece and Nigeria share snippets from their lives as expats in the Netherlands. With topics ranging from the ubiquitous bikes to the Dutch obsession with “doing normal” to food and shopping, birthdays, doctors and even childbirth.
Who is it for?
For any expat that is thinking of or has already joined their Dutch partner here or is thinking of coming to the Netherlands to live. Personally, I would read the book before coming and probably not understand a lot of it (for example most of the Dutch language references are not translated) and then read it again after I have been here a while and then TOTALLY get it!
Who wrote it?
A list of the authors can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/Dutched-Up-Rock... and at other sites selling the book. They are all female bloggers with existing sites and I like that the book lets you know about their blogs, so that if you are more interested in crocheting or food or being a (young) mother in the Netherlands, or any of the other topics they specialise in, or just if you enjoy one of the writing styles more than the other, you know where to go.
What did I think of it?
Although it is a good book for dipping into, depending on what topic you want to tackle that day, I read it in one go in a morning and literally laughed out loud , cried, tut-tutted and just recognized so much. Although the book touches on the standard “circle parties”, Dutch “directness” and of course biking, and the “gggggggggggg sound”, it manages to escape the clichés and by providing such personal stories, it gives a fresh take on things.
All the writers are female and as far as I can tell the vast majority are mothers which tends to slant the book ‘s take on things a bit.
The writing styles vary (although the overall quality is very good), which makes it more personal and also allows for everybody to find something that appeals.
If you are feeling a little lost and alone as a “foreigner” to the country this is a wonderful book full of others who “get it”. Even if you are fully dutched up and rocking your own clogs in a big way, you will be able to have a good laugh and a cry over this book and maybe be introduced to some fabulous new blogs to follow at the same time.
February 17, 2015
Very interesting!
The Netherlands was never really a place that fit in my horizon. It was a place I knew certain things about that most people know too but there was nothing that really made it special to me. Till I read this book.
A collection of essays by expat bloggers in The Netherlands opened my eyes to how tall the Dutch are, how complicated their language is, how blunt their words are, how they steal bikes left and right, how their doctors don't really want to see you, and how stress and worry free they are when it comes to their kids.
The book also showed me the realities of expats in a country that is totally alien from their own. I loved the diverse voices and how so many different countries were represented. I even enjoyed guessing what country the blogger came from based on how they wrote - the Americans and British have a distinct way of writing and I don't just mean how differently they spell their words from each other.
Now I definitely want to visit this country! And I feel my horizons have definitely broadened after reading this collection!
I only gave it a 4 because not all essays were as good as the others, but most were very interesting!
The Netherlands was never really a place that fit in my horizon. It was a place I knew certain things about that most people know too but there was nothing that really made it special to me. Till I read this book.
A collection of essays by expat bloggers in The Netherlands opened my eyes to how tall the Dutch are, how complicated their language is, how blunt their words are, how they steal bikes left and right, how their doctors don't really want to see you, and how stress and worry free they are when it comes to their kids.
The book also showed me the realities of expats in a country that is totally alien from their own. I loved the diverse voices and how so many different countries were represented. I even enjoyed guessing what country the blogger came from based on how they wrote - the Americans and British have a distinct way of writing and I don't just mean how differently they spell their words from each other.
Now I definitely want to visit this country! And I feel my horizons have definitely broadened after reading this collection!
I only gave it a 4 because not all essays were as good as the others, but most were very interesting!
March 1, 2016
This was definitely interesting. Many of the stories and cultural elements were relatable to me as an expat in France. (Or am I really an expat if I'm here for life?). But there were so many other cultural elements that were 100% Dutch and it was fun to discover all of them, from riding bikes, coffee dates, pregnancy, language... If you like visiting other countries vicariously, you'll love this anthology.
December 15, 2014
A very good book about living in and moving to the Netherlands. Its quality varies, some articles are very good, some are a bit annoying, but all in all it gives a great insight into living the Dutch way. Some of the articles could be labeled "first world problems" though ;)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews