Peter Bodo Gawenda

“Always remember today’s date,” her grandmother said to Irma. “El diez de Mayo”—the tenth of May. After World War II, Peter, a handsome German pilot, met Irma, a beautiful Texan woman of Hispanic descent. It was love at first sight. Their meeting had been prophesized—for Irma by her grandmother and for Peter by a Gypsy—and together the couple would create an extraordinary life. Irma’s Story: American by Birth, Hispanic by Choice chronicles Irma’s life and the experiences of the “Texan Gawendas”...

Peter and his brothers saw the war not as military or national history, but as the adventure of everyday living. They experienced bombs dropping, soldiers occupying their home, and prisoners of war marching through the streets-all of which seemed like mere intrusions to their childhood existence. They not only survived, but thrived, during The Children's War. The strength of family ties carried the Gawenda boys through the War and shaped the author's perspective, making The...