The Mermaid and the Messerschmitt: War Through a Woman's Eyes 1939-1940

During the opening months of World War II, Vassar-educated career woman Rulka Langer (1906-1993) risked her life and relied on her wits to keep her two small children and elderly mother out of harm's way. This volume is a rare eyewitness account of the early, chaotic days of WWII -- the Nazi German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, the Siege of Warsaw and the first few months of the Occupation -- written by a young working mother. The author's engaging, clear-eyed chronicle sparkles with fresh and lively storytelling and a brilliant eye for detail. Weaving her story with a masterful use of humor, an occasional bite of sarcasm and a large dose of honesty, the author paints a vivid picture of this virtually unknown aspect of WWII -- and at the same time illuminates universal truths about average, ordinary people faced with war.