An Uncommon Journey

February 20, 2012
Sister and brother Strobin and Wacs look back across a gulf of over half a century to tell the story of their emigration from Vienna on the eve of WWII to the relative safety of China, and finally to America. Detailing the lesser-known plight of the Jews who sought shelter in the slums of Shanghai, Strobin and Wacs' youth is rendered with a compelling mix of innocence and candor, melding globally profound history with common childhood scenes, as when Strobin explains, "People couldn't afford to bury the deadâ¦I jumped over the bodies on my way to school." Alternating between Strobin's and Wacs' accounts of their experiences, the book covers everything from young Wacs' girl-fueled teenage angst to the terror of American bomber planes attacking the occupying Japanese forces. Now living on opposite American coastsâStrobin in San Francisco and Wacs in New Yorkâthe story of survival stretches to the present day, illuminating how war-torn childhood influenced each author's life. A fashion designer and painter, Wacs writes, "I'd survived Hitler in Vienna and the ghetto in Shanghai. I could survive the fashion industry in New York." Ghostwriter Hodge's writing style is captivating and straightforward, and the humor and honesty with which Strobin and Wacs tell their story is enlightening. Photos.