I once was a Stranger depicts a Sunday in the life of Neeltje, a girl from the Dutch province Zeeland, in beautiful black-and-white drawings. The whole that the Protestant Church, Neeltje and her family are forming is beginning to disintegrate in her perception. Her brother has left for the big city. Will he be coming back for the Sunday dinner today?

Last night, Neeltje had bizarre dreams about the current turmoil that her community is experiencing. Every Sunday at church, her dreams recur again and again. Even during service, her thoughts wander. Will her religious community be saved from its imminent demise, or will the entire Dutch Bible Belt collapse? Can something good emerge from Neeltje’s dreams?

Liesbeth Labeur illustrates this traditional Calvinist community in stunning imagery – in the best tradition of classics like Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis – enabling the reader to come to better understand this world.

Generally, the church is becoming less and less influential in the Netherlands. Yet, membership numbers in most reformed Protestant churches (which together form the Protestant Church of the Netherlands) have not significantly diminished. Estimates differ, but the Dutch Protestant churches count approximately 750.000 members, 5% of all Dutch citizens.

'Not only the topic is fascinating, but also the way the worlds are cast into images is unique.' - de Volkskrant****

'My god, what a beautiful graphic novel with an unusual poetic power,' - Cuttingedge*****

'The way Liesbeth Labeur takes believers and non-believers on a journey is eye-opening, playful, multi-layered and beautiful.' - NRC Handelsblad****