The Gift of Gisela

This is the story of Gisela, who was orphaned in the early 1930’s, who was saved by a loving foster family in a working-class neighborhood in Berlin, Germany, who grew up under the scrutiny of Jewish oppression during her school years and who lived through the horrors of the war. Following the war, she married a man who would abuse her, then convince her that starting a new life in America would fix all their problems. In 1959 the family immigrated to America only to have her husband abandon her for his mistress when the affair was uncovered. She found herself alone in a foreign country with two young daughters to care for, where she barely spoke the language, and with no family to support her, no money and no idea how to survive. How she managed and forged ahead is a tale of pure perseverance, strength, determination and growth as she learned to find her own voice and overcome unthinkable losses. It’s the story of learning to love again and overcome decades of heartbreak to find healing and happiness. This is the remarkable story of my mother.