Dear Lisa,
You mother-in-law gave me your book to read. I wanted to take the time to write this email to you to let you know how thoroughly I enjoyed reading it. I started yesterday morning and finished it at 2 am. I even rescheduled my lunch plans to today. I was born in Faulbach am Main and lived there until I came to the states when I was 21 years old. Reading your book made me feel like I was sitting im Hof (on the back porch) with my two Omas, my Mama and my Tante listening to their stories. My mother did not meet her father until she was five years old, when he came back from the war. She has often told us the story of her running up to the man she recognized from the photographs in the living room when the soldiers came back home and her father telling her "pass auf Junge , Du wirst Dir noch weh tun when Du zwischen den Leuten rennst"as he swooped her up. (watch out boy, you are going to get hurt running in between all those people). He knew from the letters from his wif e that he had a baby girl - my Oma had given my mom a boys hair cut because it was easier to take care of. It was only after my mom told him "Du bist mein Vater" that he knew it was his daughter trying to get to him. My mom and aunt also told us how they could not wait for the Amis (German slang for Americans) to come to the Village - they were expecting them with great anticipation. Today she is 76 years old and she said she can still remember the face of the Ami who pressed a piece of chewing gum in her hand and tasseled her hair when they marched through the village.
Thank you for writing the book. It brought back many memories spent with my family.
Sincerely,
Maria