First, There Was Pain -- It's All About Survival -- Wilhelmshaven in the Wake of War -- No Room for Gerda -- The Visit That Changed My Life -- Finally, a Family of My Own -- Settling into the Clinic -- Those Cold Blue Eyes, Seventeen Years Later -- Inside the Pressure Cooker -- Surviving and Thriving -- Quick Fixes: Quick Fix #1: Smashing tennis balls; Quick Fix #2: Silencing the sirens; Quick Fix #3: Talking to the dead -- Steps to a Happier Life.
Summary:
"It is sometimes difficult to remember that in war there are innocents on all sides who suffer. German citizens who had no connection to the atrocities committed by their countrymen nonetheless endured great hardships because of them. In The Inner War, author Gerda Hartwich Robinson narrates her story as a German survivor of World War II. She tells how her life's journey included hunger, fear, neglect, and physical and emotional abuse, and how she carried these injustices in her mind and body for many years, leading to debilitating back pain, headaches, panic attacks, depression, and feelings of inadequacy. In this touching memoir, Robinson shows that the tragedies of war don't end when the last bomb is dropped or the last prisoner freed; they continue in subtle but devastating ways. Like many German citizens during and after the war, Robinson was simply trying to survive a terrifying situation she had nothing to do with. She describes how her spirit was devastated by hopelessness, and how she entertained thoughts of suicide. The Inner War shares lessons she learned at a chronic pain rehabilitation center that allowed her to start on a path to peace and love"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.