Cindy Hurst's Blog - Posts Tagged "coming-of-age"
Vom Westen! (From the West!)
After the Berlin Wall came up in 1961, many family members found themselves cut off from one another. In the East, some of the things we Westerners take for granted, such as chewing gum and chocolate, were hard to come by. Once in awhile, a family member from the West would send a package to his or her relatives in the East.
In the German Democratic Republic, there was a constant state of paranoia. People could never be too sure about who they could trust. There were informants everywhere. Without knowing what was in the package, it was best to open in private, which is what main character Andrea does, before any of her friends arrive for her small birthday celebration.
The following short excerpt from the novel, Berlin Dancer, offers a glimpse into what it was like for a ten-year-old to receive one of these packages. Andrea is getting ready to celebrate her 10th birthday when her father brings the package to her.
—–
Andrea’s eyes lit up. “Vom Westen!” she exclaimed. “This is the second time we’ve gotten a package from the West!” Medwin was Victoria’s little brother, who lived in Bavaria. While Andrea had never actually met him, she knew all about him from Victoria’s many anecdotes.
Andrea put her hands gently around the package and smelled it. “You can tell it came from the West by the way it looks and smells,” she said dreamily.
“Go ahead and open it before your friends arrive,” urged Hanna, who had walked up behind her.
Andrea carefully folded down the edges of the package and then reached inside. First, she pulled out several packages of chewing gum. “Kaugummi!” she cried out. “There’s enough here to share with the girls!” Also in the box she found chocolate, nail polish, a jar of peach preserves, a brush, several hair ties, and a doll dressed in a white tutu. “She’s beautiful!” Andrea gasped, hugging the doll.
In the German Democratic Republic, there was a constant state of paranoia. People could never be too sure about who they could trust. There were informants everywhere. Without knowing what was in the package, it was best to open in private, which is what main character Andrea does, before any of her friends arrive for her small birthday celebration.
The following short excerpt from the novel, Berlin Dancer, offers a glimpse into what it was like for a ten-year-old to receive one of these packages. Andrea is getting ready to celebrate her 10th birthday when her father brings the package to her.
—–
Andrea’s eyes lit up. “Vom Westen!” she exclaimed. “This is the second time we’ve gotten a package from the West!” Medwin was Victoria’s little brother, who lived in Bavaria. While Andrea had never actually met him, she knew all about him from Victoria’s many anecdotes.
Andrea put her hands gently around the package and smelled it. “You can tell it came from the West by the way it looks and smells,” she said dreamily.
“Go ahead and open it before your friends arrive,” urged Hanna, who had walked up behind her.
Andrea carefully folded down the edges of the package and then reached inside. First, she pulled out several packages of chewing gum. “Kaugummi!” she cried out. “There’s enough here to share with the girls!” Also in the box she found chocolate, nail polish, a jar of peach preserves, a brush, several hair ties, and a doll dressed in a white tutu. “She’s beautiful!” Andrea gasped, hugging the doll.
