This house….
This house is in the small village of Ampleben, Niedersachsen, Germany. It’s where my mom (Waltraud) lived as a teenager during World War II. Held inside its walls were some of her most heartbreaking secrets and sorrows.
Nearly a decade ago, my mom and I walked the cobblestone street in front of this house and stood where the garden gate would have been. She commented on the overgrown shrubs and how there used to be roses in the front yard. I urged her to walk the path and knock on the front door to ask the current resident if we could see inside. But she merely stood at a distance and looked at it with somber eyes, then turned to walk away.
Perhaps she didn’t want to open the door to that part of her past because she knew it would also open the floodgates of emotion and heartache that still lingered nearly 75 years later. But I’m glad she shared the stories with me in private so that I could include them in the book.
Maybe someday when I return to Germany, I will open the door for her. 💜
I’m still overwhelmed by your support and how you’ve been sharing about her story. Please continue to tell others about the novel based on her life by sharing with friends, family, and on social media. It really does make a difference. Stories like this matter.
Thank you. 💜
Book: Waltraud: A True Story of Growing Up in Nazi Germany
Available on: Amazon