Eva, the young bride of a recently discharged American soldier, is disappointed in married life and so very lonely in a foreign land. For a while, she toys with the idea of returning to Germany, her native country. But admit failure to the people back home? No way Eva, the tough survivor of World War II bombings, Russian invasion, Berlin blockade, and years of hunger and cold, cannot give in to defeat now. She has to face the challenge, work her way out of a deep depression, learn to find happiness, and regain her old sense of humor. And so she perseveres, makes her marriage work, and...

What was it like to be an innocent child in the 1930s in Berlin, Germany, and then, suddenly, have your tranquil existence snatched away and exchanged for the horrors of World War II and its aftermath? Experience it through the eyes of a girl named Eva. Laugh with her, fret with her, mourn with her. Meet her close-knit, fun-loving family and her friends. Discover how she and the people around her cope in the face of adversity and survive. Eva's story is like a kaleidoscope, in which the pretty, bright pieces of childhood joys and evacuation years are mixed with the ugly ones of air raids and...

Eva, after the sudden death of her husband, could have given in to loneliness, but this was not her nature. Students waited for her. Staying away from church, even briefly, was out of the question. Choir members counted on her to be at rehearsals and Sunday morning anthem singing. How comforting, exciting, and truly stimulating to be surrounded by people Life did not always bring easy days for the new widow. Frustrations abounded, but her innate resilience made her do things she had never tackled before. Only as last resort, she asked for help from friends. Eva was fortunate to have many...