Running from Home
A Memoir

This is the memoir of a woman who spent her childhood hiding from the Nazis. This book relates her experiences during the war in Europe and of her move to America in 1945, as well as exploring the emotional aftermath of these events in her life.

Running from Home chronicles Rita's flight from the Nazis as it was perceived by a young child. The sense of bewilderment, loss of home, and suffering from hunger and cold create an indelible mark upon her mind and do not leave when she eventually comes to America. Raised in different cultures, she never feels at home but is always the outsider, trying to reconcile her old life and experiences with her new surroundings. Her youth and adolescence are assaulted by the demons that have been imprinted on her young brain. Furthermore, Rita's father suffers from his own demons: financial insecurity, disenfranchisement, and constant poverty serve to reestablish her old fears and sense of loss. For Rita, the war is not over when the peace treaties have been signed. For more information, please see www.ritabross.com.

Chapter 1 Acknowledgements Chapter 2 Prologue Part 3 Part One - Running Chapter 4 1. Good-Bye Chapter 5 2. Heil Hitler Chapter 6 3. Alex Chapter 7 4. Freda Chapter 8 5. Vienna Chapter 9 6. Parting Chapter 10 7. Poland Chapter 11 8. The Farm Chapter 12 9. The Sardines Chapter 13 10. Jew Girl Chapter 14 11. The Visit Chapter 15 12. Trip to Karakow Chapter 16 13. On the Run Chapter 17 14. Freezing Chapter 18 15. The Ghetto Chapter 19 16. Into the Dark Woods Chapter 20 17. Prison Chapter 21 18. The Journey Chapter 22 19. A Normal Childhood in a Mental Hospital Chapter 23 20. School Chapter 24 21. Merry Christmas Chapter 25 22. Denial Chapter 26 23. Leaving Liebenau Chapter 27 24. News Chapter 28 25. The Long Train Ride Chapter 29 26. Refugee Chapter 30 27. First Stop Chapter 31 28. Second Leg of Our Journey Chapter 32 29. Victor Chapter 33 30. The Gripsholm Part 34 Part Two - Immigrant Girl Chapter 35 31. Ellis Island Chapter 36 32. Reunion Chapter 37 33. Interlude Chapter 38 34. 516 West 188th Street Chapter 39 35. Tovah Chapter 40 36. Yetta Chapter 41 37. Camp Chapter 42 38. The Sacred and the Profane Chapter 43 39. Unemployment Chapter 44 40. A Battle of Wills Chapter 45 41. Dancing Chapter 46 42. Growing Pains Chapter 47 43. Tenth Summer Chapter 48 44. Miss Weinstein Chapter 49 45. Michael Chapter 50 46. The Past Comes Calling Chapter 51 47. Music Lessons Chapter 52 48. The Gift Chapter 53 49. Breaking Point Chapter 54 50. Rescue Chapter 55 51. Teenager Chapter 56 52. Hope Chapter 57 53. A Glimpse of the Promised Land Chapter 58 54. Music and Art Chapter 59 55. Thanksgiving 1951 Chapter 60 56. Odd Girl Out Chapter 61 57. My School Chapter 62 58. Opening Doors Chapter 63 59. Chameleon Chapter 64 60. A Cold and Empty House Chapter 65 61. Forest Hills Chapter 66 62. The Dress Chapter 67 63. Dating Jewish Chapter 68 64. Leaving Paradise Chapter 69 Epilogue