Revealing the lie

This is a memoir written on a typewriter in a remote corner of Mallorca, on retirement, by a woman whose life spanned five countries, two world wars, political turmoil, family upheavals and tragedies. It is a story in which she reveals amazing courage and resourcefulness in extreme situations in such a matter-of-fact way that the reader can empathise and think – yes, I hope I’d have done the same. She can also tell a good anecdote about all aspects of life. From a tough working class childhood in Berlin, to dangerous anti-fascist activity during the 1930s, she flees first to Prague, where her first child is born. In Russia she experiences bitter disillusionment and hardship under the Stalin regime. After the arrest of her partner soon after the birth of her second child, she discovers a network of support and solidarity among fellow emigrés and local Russian women. One of the highlights of the book is her defiant stand in front of a committee, which could have ended in arrest. Her arrival in Sweden marks a restorative period, with its humane attitude towards refugees. Finally she reaches the safe haven of Britain and the family is reunited. A short period of internment on the Isle of Man is followed by attempts to adapt to the British way of life. Her genuine admiration and respect for certain aspects of the British character are interspersed with unfortunate misunderstandings, at times comic, but painful too. This can be fascinating for a contemporary reader, especially for anyone whose work and lives connect with new arrivals to Britain.