Memories of Growing up in Germany 1928-1953

My mother, Elfriede, grew up in Germany during World War II, a turbulent time in the country's history. Her parents were just getting back on their feet after losing their savings and two brothers in World War I. Then came the rise of Adolf Hitler, the end of free speech and the beginning of an adolescence marked by hunger, air raid sirens, quiet rebellion, and occupation by American and then Russian troops. Elfriede wrote down her memories of coming of age during the war, gaining permission to leave the Russian zone, and gradually rebuilding a life in West Germany. Then, a chance encounter on a bus tour in Bavaria changed the course of her life. In 1953 she emigrated to the U.S. to marry my father.