A World Gone Mad: The True Story Of Surviving A Dictatorship by Gretel Timan
Trauma can be the defining aspect of many individual lives. The ironic aspect of trauma is that it can be used to force someone into coming to terms with who they are and what they want out of life. The collective trauma of life in Nazi Germany and life under Soviet rule could have been potentially life altering or life ending. Author Gretel Timan, in her engaging memoir of her early years, A World Gone Mad: The True Story of Surviving a Dictatorship, describes in great detail how her and her family survived the Nazis only to be subjected to the Soviet government under which life was just as difficult and her world was ruled by fear. The intimidation that the Soviets used on Gretel and others in occupied East Germany was prevalent in every aspect of her life, including school, shopping for groceries and even basic conversations with others her age and older.
Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and his henchmen could not tolerate doubt or dissension and as a result prohibited citizens of East Germany from going into the West to visit their relatives or to buy much needed items such as food. This resulted in Gretel living in an environment where she could not even make a statement or have a conversation without a risk of her words or conversation being reported to the Soviet authorities as division or even seditious. Getel became desperate to get out of this world and made her way through East Germany to the West and her aunt. Her parents had emigrated to America and Gretel made getting there her goal. Once she and her aunt were financially able to, Gretel made the trip to America and her parents’ home in New York City. Once in America, Gretel would live the American dream, never wavering in being able to make it out from under such a trauma-filled early existence and being able to share her story with the world.
A World Gone Mad is a quick tour of the authors’ early life and the realization by her family of how important a good education can be in giving life to dissent and hope. Gretel writes with an energy that reminds the reader of the desperation of life under such grueling circumstances and the excitement upon first seeing the New York City skyline and the boundless hope of America. Readers who are looking for a narrative of hope and encouragement would do well to read A World Gone Mad. It speaks to the reader in his or her quest to understand our world and the past century.
About Gretel Timan:
Author Gretel Timan grew up in East Germany and struggled with discrimination and restriction because her father was a capitalist. She had contact with her American aunt, and worst of all, she refused to join the Soviet-German friendship. In 1957, she emigrated to the US, and her life changed dramatically. In her words, she became a “butterfly.” She now lives in North Carolina and is forever grateful to be allowed to live in freedom and democracy.
