Eleanor's Story An American Girl in Hitler's Germany by Eleanor Ramrath Garner

"America's involvement in the war sent me into a tailspin. How bizarre! I thought. The soldiers of the country where I was born, the country I love, will be told to kill me, my family, and my new friends. And the soldiers of the country of my ancestry, of my beloved Omis [grandmothers], the country where I live, will be told to hate and kill Americans. Where do I stand in all of this? Who should I be loyal to? I felt pulled in two between America and Germany."
                       -Eleanor, 1941

I doubt I would have ever discovered this book had it not been for the Orlando Fringe Festival. How is that? you ask. At this year's festival, we saw a performance with the same title as this memoir. It was a one-woman show by the granddaughter of this author, Eleanor Ramrath Garner. It was a gripping story beautifully told by a talented young lady. At the end of her show, the granddaughter/actress, whose name I do not remember, mentioned that she had adapted her script from this book. I determined then and there to read it!

The book apparently was intended for young adults so it was a fairly quick and easy read. However, the subject matter is very intense with some disturbing images. Indeed, how could one write of Hitler's Germany without some horrifying details?

Eleanor tells her own story, starting when she was 9 years old and her family moved from Stratford, N.J. to Berlin in late 1939 because of her father's work. By the time they arrive in Germany, the political situation is looking bad but it is too late to return to the U.S. Father's job was to be a 2-year stint but the family is stuck there indefinitely. The family must survive frequent air raids and bombings, terrible food shortages, bitter cold, the threat of the SS terrorism of citizens and family separations.

I enjoyed figuring out the German words though the author did not overdo and the context gave hints. German food is not one of my favorite cuisines but I remember seeing Heaven and Earth on a German menu, a mixture of mashed potatoes and applesauce. It was a welcome treat for Eleanor in the story. I am passing this book on to a friend who has spent a good amount of time in Germany and has kept in touch with German friends. I think she will like it.

I would not want to spoil the ending so I will just say Eleanor is an ordinary girl who lived an extraordinary life. Her memoir is completely captivating. I rate it a 5.