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Whistling La Paloma

by Bruna Moehl

326 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0040; ISBN 1-55369-227-6; US$28.00, C$35.95, EUR23.40, £16.20

Life in Switzerland 1900 - 1950. A single mother struggles for an existence that allows her to have her daughter with her.

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About the book      About the author      Sample excerpts or Table of Contents      Catalogue info

About the Book "We often are tempted to call the past 'the good old days'. That is a largely subjective point of view." The story Whistling La Paloma takes place during the first half of the 20th century. A young single mother in Switzerland tries to keep her child with her. The struggle for a decent living, the humiliating double morality and the laws that gave fewer rights to women were tools to defeat a lonely parent. People were caught in an inherited standard. Different social ranks rarely mingled. Wealthy families kept their distance, treating workers in a friendly, but nevertheless condescending way. After World War II, with the economy growing, class differences were obliterated and a whole new field of opportunities opened up for the younger generation.

About the Author "There are no limits to learning," is the author's motto. Of course, with advanced age physical restrictions have to be accepted. But an immense choice of challenges is still within reach - just stretch out your hand. Bruna Moehl belongs to the group of people who like to explore the opportunities of a senior's life. Out of the blue she did 'Delta Gliding' in the Swiss Alps to celebrate her 60th birthday. "It was a strange feeling, gliding over the snow-covered pines with skis on my feet," she explained. For her 70th, she went skydiving in DeLand. "The sensation to be a part of the universe wrapped me into an ecstatic condition, " was her comment. Close to her 71st birthday she finished her first book, Whistling La Paloma . Bruna Moehl learned English when she and her husband moved to Florida in the fall of 1995, and she admits that without the support of her husband she could not have realized her dreams. The couple lives part time in Florida and in Switzerland. "My English dictionary and I have become inseparable traveling partners, she says." Bruna Moehl lived and worked in Switzerland. When her husband retired they moved to Florida. They travel back and forth between their two "homelands".

Sample Excerpt

Prologue

I never intended to write a book. But when the circumstances
presented themselves, I took the challenge.

My husband and I moved from Switzerland to Florida in late
1995. That of course made it necessary for me to learn English.
To make the task more interesting, I began to write short stories.
More and more I became obsessed by what I first thought to be a
hobby, and I was looking for a subject for a longer script.

Suddenly I remembered my Swiss friends Heidi and Peter Burri
telling me:

"Today's children have no idea of the customs and experiences
during your youth. It would be interesting for them to read about."

Now I had a theme.

But I would never have been able to translate the different
styles of life with the proper American expressions by myself.
My anchor came also by accident. I want to thank our cousin
Sylvia Reinoso, who helped me through all the shrubbery of explanations.
And I also am very grateful for the important advice
of her husband Albert.

It was my big chance to become acquainted with Warner
Brown, retired English Teacher and adjunct professor of English
at Elmhurst College in Illinois. He and his wife Lois granted me
many hours of their reading sessions to have a final look on my
grammar, syntax and punctuation.

I am also obliged to Mr. Bruce Bauman for sharing his computer
skills in helping me prepare this book.

Last but not least, I express my appreciation for my husband's
patience and help, when my memory failed or the exact circumstances
had to be elicited.

Above all, I had a great time narrating stories, and I hope you
enjoy reading about the "good old times."

Bruna Moehl, July 2001

Published Excerpts

Catalogue Information