ALL FOR YOU

Romero chronicles the courtship and separation of her parents—a Jewish man and a Lutheran woman—during World War II.

After her father’s sudden death in 1980, the author discovered a box of letters at her parents’ house dating back to 1938. While she’d grown up knowing her parents were refugees from Nazi Germany, they remained tight-lipped about what they had experienced to protect her. Romero’s relationship with her father had been difficult at times, and they frequently disagreed on politics; after his death, she finally came to understand his perspective. Emil Rueb was born in the small village of Guntersblum, Germany, the son of a successful Jewish businessman and vineyard owner. He met Elisabeth Bickel, nicknamed Deta, a Lutheran nurse, while she was working for a family in his village. Though Emil’s parents disapproved of him courting a non-Jew, and Nazi policies increasingly made the relationship untenable, they remained devoted to each other. In 1937, Deta obtained a nursing position in England. A year later, Emil emigrated to New York and then New Hampshire, intending to pursue a career as a photographer and secure passage for Deta, his parents, his sister, and her husband. As Europe headed inexorably toward war and Nazi policies became more restrictive, the possibilities for immigration narrowed. Deta and Emil spent over seven years apart, waiting to be reunited while World War II tore their homeland apart. Using her parents’ letters as a starting point, Romero retraced her parents’ steps in Europe, interviewed surviving acquaintances and relatives, and conducted extensive research to piece together Deta and Emil’s journey. The memoir includes photos and copies of important documents such as tickets, IDs, and postcards, which add a personalized feel to the narrative. Romero often intersperses her own reflections throughout the story. Though unable to reproduce exactly what her parents were thinking and feeling on some occasions, the author’s perspective as their daughter and her viewpoint of their history make this account uniquely poignant; as she writes, “May their story augment our understanding of the past.”

An affecting story of ordinary perseverance during terrible times.