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Book Excerpt...
Chapter One
October, 1920
Gustav loved me more than I loved him when we became engaged. My
family thought it was the right thing to do; after all, I was twenty
with few suitors. My friend, Yula, a gifted violinist whom I met
through our piano teacher, Madame Selinski, introduced me to him.
Yula, a few years older than me, was engaged to a man of
twenty-nine. Her fiancé, Solomon, from a privileged family like
ours, had ten people sewing for him--fine silk, wool, gabardine
suits, all in his own shop. He introduced me to Gustav, a friend of
his, and we began to keep company. Gustav said he fell in love with
me because of my pale eyes, the color of lilacs.
The engagement party held in our home made the society pages. In a
gown of blueberry taffeta and sapphire earrings, a present from my
father, Gustav and his family showered me with gifts--a silver
evening bag for the opera, a ruby ring, Belgium lace. For the first
six months Gustav came on Sundays with his family.
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