GREAT BOOK!! We all
endure travesty, but some you would never have imagined.
I loved this story.
It's a life story of her growing up and surviving World War II in
Germany. It's honest, shocking, brutally
sad, and yet endearing.
She grew up in a small town, with lots of relatives, a farm
to play on, lots of animals and abundant love.
Well abundant love from most people anyway. Her life before the war started brought back
many memories of mine with my grandparent's farm, many animals, and plenty of
cousins to create wonderful memories. Fortunately
I didn't have to endure the pains or severe trials of young life in a war zone.
Edeltraud wrote with a naked truth that brought you to love
her for all that she was and became.
Without even knowing it she teaches you to look beyond the surface and
into the depths of their souls. You
realize that people don't all become the evil that leads them. And most everyone's vision is 20/20 in
hindsight. You begin to wonder what you
would have done. What would you have
become? How would the scars of survival
have affected you the rest of your life?
The whole story provokes deep thought with strong emotional insight.
Some of the people put in her path were some of the most helpful
during the harshest times. I don't
believe in coincidences, so even wondering how she was so lucky is a waste of
thought. The much more useful thought is
whether you would have been the sliver of light for her. It's easy to say yes, but being truthful of
your real selflessness is quite difficult but certainly can enhance self
growth. The truth of her life that she
puts forth shows us how even in her darkest hours there was a sliver of light,
and she grabbed hold of it. Seeing how thankful
she was for each encounter and each gift, no matter how small, gave you a
feeling of admiration and pride for her.
Her attitude was not one of deserving, but rather one of grace. Those people not only helped her keep moving
forward with hope, they helped solidify her fortitude. You
have to wonder had she not had the attitude she did, how different would her
life have been.
Throughout the book, I felt enormous appreciation and
respect for Edeltraud and many others.
We who never served in that war, have never endured and actually really
understood what many Germans went through.
What they felt and thought. You
must read this book. It is educational,
thought provoking, and an emotional event that just shouldn't be missed.
Reading a life story can be fun. In this case it was extraordinary. I had
always wondered what life was life in Germany during World War II, but it was
much more extreme than I have ever imagined.
If you have ever wondered about how the people of Germany allowed Hitler
to be, then this is a must read.
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