Memoir in War

The Past Is Myself 

by Christabel Bielenberg

This captivating memoir was written by Christabel Bielenberg, an Englishwoman who married a German lawyer and lived in Germany during World War II. The book offers a unique perspective on life in the Third Reich from the viewpoint of a civilian just trying to survive, not a Nazi or a victim of a concentration camp. It is often praised for its depiction of the "other Germany" and how ordinary citizens, such as Bielenberg and her family, coped with an increasingly difficult and paranoid world.

The memoir is noteworthy because it provides a close-up look at German society during the war, highlighting the struggles endured by both regular citizens and anti-Nazis who opposed the government. Bielenberg shows that not all Germans supported Hitler by describing the subtle and not-so-subtle ways people resisted.

The book is a first-person survival story that focuses on daily life under the Nazi government and during the Allied bombings. It portrays the brief moments of humanity and hope that allowed people to endure the horrors of war. This entails learning to laugh, building relationships with neighbors, and valuing the little pleasures that were "blown out of all proportion" during a time of scarcity.