Gabrielle Robinson

I was born in Berlin in 1942 and we fled in 1945. Only my grandfather stayed behind to serve as doctor. My father, a fighter pilot, had been shot down in 1943.

I grew up in different parts of Germany and in Vienna, sometimes in boarding schools. My only stable home was four years with my grandfather until his death in 1955. Now I am settled in South Bend, Indiana where, I like to think, I have found a balance between being a stranger and belonging.

A lesson I learnt late in life was that we all live with often buried layers of history, family, and place. They are part of us. We need to understand how they shaped and are shaping our thinking and behavior. It may help us live together with compassion and tolerance. Perhaps, stories like mine can help with this.

My PhD is from the University of London. I am author of eight books and about fifty articles. Until retirement I taught at US universities and abroad. I have won a number of awards for my writing and community engagement.