Shortly before Europe was plunged into the Second World War, my young mother and her family traveled from their home in New York to France. This is a true story based on my grandmother's diaries, which document her daughter's early symptoms of men...
As I worked on this story, a layer of history haunted me. My grandmother, in this collection of diary entries, mentions three passenger ships; the Normandie, Europa, and Queen Mary.
Thur, Dec 9, 1937:
Simply marketed and wrote Christmas letters all day. Since I'm not sending presents I seem to have more writing to do—am actually getting writer's cramp.
Fri, Dec 10, 1937: Our Twentieth Wedding Anniversary.
We've been continents or oceans separated on our two most important. Very lonely without darling Henry. Today Dearest Polly did her best to console me though she was one hour late to meet me at Coupe Glaƈee for the delicious gaufres and coffee. Then we went to the opera. Excellent box seats for 15 francs. Rimsky-Korsakov Coq Dor [sic] very weird traji-comedie and, after, a Spanish Ballet very beautifully done.
Sat, Dec 11, 1937:
Took dear Polly her breakfast. Then we went to market in the slushy snow. It takes so long to go to market. We went to five of them. After dinner at noon we went to see de Selliers about the light bill. He was grand nobless oblige—a true nobleman. Then we went to buy Xmas cards but didn't find any pretty ones. After, Polly & I had Thé au Bon Marché. It's such a fashionable looking crowd there. Then I made a dash for my French class & Polly met Gerta for the movies.
Sun, Dec 12, 1937:
Like many other days, this one turned out differently than expected. Polly and I had planned to go to Waterloo. Dear Polly brought my breakfast at 9:30 but by eleven it commenced to rain so we gave up going. Barb asked me to go to Philharmonic, Jacques Thibaud, guest artist—so I went and enjoyed it very much.
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Then we came home to a delicious chicken dinner. Barb didn't eat hers until it was cold—then asked Polly to go to Fedora with her. Adorable opera with some of her favorite singers. I tried to finish my Christmas writing. Such large families & so many friends.
Mon, Dec 13, 1937:
The Englishman came down this morning and raised cane with Barb because she started to practice at 8:30. He's going to make it very uncomfortable for us. Pauline, the concierge, cleaned. The cat has disappeared—Barb & I are glad. I had to go to town in the aft to do the usual shopping—mostly Xmas. Polly & Barb made us a cute little supper of waffles, shrimp salad, & coffee. Then Polly & I studied French & wrote Xmas letters. Barb went as usual to one of her concerts.
The reference, "The cat has disappeared—Barb & I are glad," is telling. Barb despised cats. Polly loved them. The winter of 1966 while in the Navy, I was stationed in Bremerton, Washington, and often ferried across the bay to Seattle to spend weekends with Elsie and Polly. Polly's cat, Tutu, was terribly spoiled. Tutu's treat was king crab meat. Elsie scolded me when I raided the refrigerator and ate it.
