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...
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Sun, Dec 26, 1937:
Dear Polly & I arose early, breakfasted and left by tram for her nine o'clock train. The trams were slow and we had to rush. Her train pulled out like a streak of lighting. Barb was so villainous that I decided not to come home all day. Went to the Anglican Church we were supposed to go to Xmas eve. Glad we didn't—I didn't like it so well— new church. The music there was beautiful. Met Howard at a swank Restaurant at Port Namur and had une "Broile est née", [sic] then very apropos for my trouble—well done. Returned home at eight on the bus.
During these past few months Barb has only brought one acquaintance home—and then accuses her of stealing. "Instability of interpersonal relationships" is a hallmark of BPD. Throughout her life Barb formed very few friendships. During the sixty years she lived on the farm in northern Minnesota she rarely communicated with any of the neighbors.
Mon, Dec 27, 1937:
I'm going to have a difficult time to put in these days without dear Polly. I wanted Barb to go with me after her lesson to look at a pension. She was so cross, so I went by myself. Not first rate but good food. Then went to see Rev. Devereaux—he suggested a pension to which I went. Had Thé; ideal but far too expensive. He is pompous.
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Polly innocently writes about saying Heil Hitler and skating to German marching music. Eleven months later Gerta's Jewish family will have their business destroyed on Kristallnacht, "The Night of the Broken Glass." With the help of my grandmother, Gerta Cahn's family escaped Germany and settled in the united States.
