Tears on the School Desk

A vivid recounting of a determined young Austrian girl's horrific experiences of family betrayals and of World War II. One reads much of this account as one passes by a traffic accident, peeking through fingers, intrigued but fearful of what comes next. It's not an easy story. The starkness is softened by her experiences of pure young love, her faith, and the heroes she's chosen to keep her going. It is ultimately a life-affirming narrative of this woman's life, a narrative not just of survival, but of hope and victory.I dreamed of having a little flower, a pet of my own, a light in the room, a toy to play with and never being locked up again. Bypassing daily news, Mother missed rules, didn't know, and didn't realize, the danger in which we lived. Our mother was always very happy to help her Jewish friend, Mrs. Hackenberg, run a good business in the secondhand store. What they didn't know was that the Gestapo watched.The smell of the horse manure cut off my breath. I had to get out. While I scrambled out of the box, I hit both my toes a few more times. Finally, I made it, with my Sylva. As I walked, pushing my carriage with my doll in it, each step I took left blood behind on the sidewalk. With tears on my hand, I wrote on the wall of the prison in which I now knew for sure my mom was trapped. I love you, Mom! O, dear God, please! Let my dear mommy come home. Suddenly, my life changed. I wasn't even hungry anymore. From now on, my survival didn't matter. I lived for the moment, to be able to see and hear my love sing again. Everything I owned, including myself, I would have gladly given for my Serafin, though I knew I could never call him my own.