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Magdalena and the Children: From Euphoria to Hell, Mother & Children Survive Starvation & Bombing?

by ByEri

370 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-0068; ISBN 1-4120-2240-1; US$29.00, C$34.95, EUR22.95, £17.00

Women and children of a past era, living normal lives filled with hopes and dreams suddenly face the true--not contrived--terrors of war: bombardment, pain, homelessness, famine and death.

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About the Book      About the Author      Excerpts      Catalogue Information

About the Book

Magdalena and the Children starts out in a peaceful setting. The heroine is one of the ordinary people, in pursuit of hope and ambition. She falls in love, marries, has children and generally enjoys life until World War One disrupts everything. The 'protector' of the family is called to battle and she must cope alone with upcoming adversities: food, coal, clothing shortages and violence.

Somehow she and the children manage to survive and eventually start over until forced to endure yet another war. World War Two is worse than the one before, because now death rains from heaven and mercilessly victimizes civilians: women, children and the aging. In the same process homes and livelihoods are destroyed, too. What's that like? A valid question!

Magdalena's story primarily focuses on the triumphs and trials in a women's life, before, during and after war.

Unlike men soldiers, women and children civilians, were not honored with medals and or public commendations for their heroic deeds. Neither did they ever receive 'Purple Hearts' for injuries, no matter how severe. The hardships of women and children were simply taken for granted.

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About the Author

Having been born before Hitler came into power, the author lived through World War II in its entirety. But even long before the war, she was inadvertently affected by insidious clandestine maneuvers employed by his regime against those of 'undesirable' ancestry; two dear family members were of this category. The consequences of the Third Reich era extend far beyond the years of 1933-45.

"Geographical orientations matter little when terror, pain, hunger and deprivation reign. I focus on German women and children only because I'm one of the survivors of WWII--because of personal experience."

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Excerpts

"When I think of my commendable resolves, how I was going to feed my children wholesome meals, everyday. My, oh my!" she sighs, "Look it at these few measly ingredients - how can I? Already the stores are virtually empty and what's to become of us once the war is officially pronounced over? Will we be able to survive, to prevail until... until what?"

* * * * *

Slowly- two tears begin to run down her cheeks; they stop momentarily at the edge of her now protruding collarbones, before continuing on downward... until coming to rest on the rise of her womanly appendages. With fascination Magdalena watches the two drops simply end their descending journey, one above each nipple, like sparkling adornments... mere reflection of the overhead illumination.

* * * * *

"...To be willing to wait for you until after you're married. Any other way won't do, because if his declaration is just a farce he can walk away from the affair - you, on the other hand, should a baby happen, you cannot simply put the incidence behind you... because the baby grows in your womb, he doesn't have one."

* * * * *

...Since their return from Paris, Jung never tires relating the thrill he experienced when he shook hands with Charles Lindbergh, the hero of the triumphant Transatlantic Solo Flight.

"It was worth everything," he admits to his wife, "Giving Toni Bender an opportunity to prove his faculty and waiting for endless hours amid the jostling crowd for a chance to come face to face with such a renown personality."

* * * * *

In the 17 years since then much has changed. For instance, on a strictly mundane level, fashions in the interim dictated the gradual shortening of hemlines. This in turn amended public opinions about the erstwhile-perceived notion of immorality regarding the exposure of feminine ankles. In other words, nowadays a generous showing of this particular part of female anatomy is widely accepted. By the same token, bustles, extreme corselets and similarly constricting fashion accessories, erstwhile thought essentials in every well-dressed lady's wardrobe, are now absolutely passé, matter of fact, they're now positively frowned upon.

* * * * *

Another truth emerges crystal clear during Magdalena's conversation with Johann Glockner... the young man and the as yet unborn baby need her, if for no other reason than to shield both from Ursel's, oftentimes, furious outbursts.

* * * * *

If Ursel had her way the infant would soon starve. Only minutes after the little girl is laid to her breasts she rings the bell and demands: "Take 'Das Ding' away, already!" meaning her own daughter. Frau Glockner's so absolutely bored with nursing that she refers to it as a 'dreary chore'; albeit mothers the world over generally cherish these intimate moments a lifetime.

* * * * *

"I've just come back from the butcher. You should've heard the cackling that went on in the store there. Everybody was talking about Hitler, mainly about his refusing to serve as vice-chancellor to Papen. I thought the man some time ago served a prison sentence because of participation in some sort of violent involvement in Munich. How come they even allowed such a person to campaign for an executive office?"

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Catalogue Information

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