American novelist Mary Mapes Dodge's work Hans Brinker was first released in 1865. The book is set in the Netherlands and is both a story of adolescent honor and a vivid fictional depiction of Dutch life in the early 19th century. The exquisite silver skates awarded to the victor of the ice skating competition Hans Brinker aspires to compete in are referenced in the book's title. American readers were introduced to Dutch speed skating through the book, and Hans Brinker continues to be portrayed in American media as the ideal speed skater. The book is also significant for making the tale of the young Dutch boy who uses his finger to plug a dyke popular. The book was written by Mary Mapes Dodge when she was 34 years old; she had never been to the Netherlands before the book was released. The extensive, multi-volume history books The Rise of the Dutch Republic (1856) and History of the United Netherlands by John L. Motley served as inspiration for her (1860–1867). Dodge then conducted an additional bibliographical study on the nation. Her immigrant Dutch neighbors, the Scharffs, also provided her with a wealth of first-hand knowledge about Dutch culture.