I was born, raised and educated in Norway, after which I moved to the U.S. as a young bride.  My first conscious recollection of life goes back to 1942, when as a child I had to escape to Sweden, a neutral country, with my immediate family.  Germany had invaded Norway and the persecution of the 2000 Norwegian Jews was initiated.  771 persons were deported and sent to Auschwitz, including seven members of my father’s family.

My book is a narrative of a journey back in time.  Less than five years ago I was forced to examine the label of being a Holocaust survivor with the subsequent resulting introspection. My strong dual identity as a Norwegian and a Jew forced me to explore a multitude of previously unopened doors.  This is not a description of the Holocaust alone, but the memoires of growing up Jewish in Norway during and after World War II.  The richness of having both a Norwegian and Jewish culture ultimately provided me with a third identity—that of an American.

I have worked as a translator of Scandinavian languages in the U.S. for more than 25 years.  I have combined my strong affinity for Norway and Norwegian culture with my American experiences, and have translated six of the well-known Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s plays to English in collaboration with an American author and actor.  Our translation of Peer Gynt followed the Norwegian rhyme pattern for the first time and has also been published in book form.  The translations have been utilized at several theaters nationally.