Fragments of a Childhood

In Memory of My Mother and Grandparents

Fragments of a Childhood presents a collection of short stories offering an intimate glimpse into author Gerda Christensen's childhood in Denmark. She reminisces about the sacrifice, love, and the close-knit ties that can only be created by the strength of family. She talks about the greatest trauma her family experienced - her father's struggle with alcohol, which eventually took him away from the family forever. After the departure of their father, Gerda, her mother and her five sibblings had to live with her grandparents until her mother remarried six years later. While theirs was a difficult childhood, she recalls many good memories from their early life along with the bad ones. Through all of the stories, the common thread is her love for her family and her homeland. Although she would eventually migrate to Canada, the memories of the past are lovingly recounted for all to enjoy in this collection.