Publisher's Synopsis
A family in a rural village in Belgium is thriving in the 1920s, but the end of that decade brings Anny profound challenges, who at the tender age of nine years old, is thrust onto a physical and emotional roller coaster. A new and unknown stepmother arrives on the scene shortly after her mother's passing. In short order, the family's beloved housekeeper and caregiver, Martha, is sent home. Anny is sent into a life of Catholic boarding schools. The Great Depression made things worse. There is a severe split from family life to boarding schools, but the school vacations bring vital support from Anny's sisters and their deceased mother's relatives. After high school, Anny struggles to find self-reliance and independence from her father's expectations. Then, in 1938, Anny finds new hope in a move to Holland, where she would finally be independent and share an apartment with her two sisters, Agnes and Irene. Sadly, within two years, Hitler's army invades western Europe and occupies Holland and much of Europe for the next five years. Fortunately, Anny and her two sisters were permitted to escape to England, and that changes everything once again. Anny gives a memorable recounting of the events that shaped her life. These stories are supplemented with a host of pictures and documents that bring along the visual element.
