A World Elsewhere by Sigrid MacRae is a beautifully written story by a woman who never knew her father but struggles to come to terms with her after her mother gives her a box with information about and letters from him.
Sigrid's mother, Aimee, was from a family wealthy enough to let her travel to Paris in 1927, where she met Heinrich. He was a poor Baltic German aristocrat, charming and a little lost. They marry and go live in Germany. Living in the 1930s life is tough. Heinrich leaves Aimee and their five children to volunteer to fight on the Russian front. On a leave home Sigrid is conceived. Eventually, he's killed, leaving Aimee to struggle to escape back to America with her six children and then to provide for them.
The details in the book can be heart rendering but also strike a deeper chord about life and values.
The story is written dispassionately but beautifully. Truly a great book.
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