Regina’s Closet
by Diana Raab
Published by Beaufort Books
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Reviewed by Connie Anderson
Subtitled: Finding My Grandmother’s Secret Journal
Diana Raab’s grandmother Regina took her own life in 1964 when Diana was about 10. Diana lost someone who loved her dearly—and gave her unconditional love.
In the 1990s Diana’s mother was cleaning out a closet and found her mother journal, sheaves of paper in a folder. When she came to America, Regina wrote about her life in retrospect, growing up in Poland and Vienna during WWI—about war as seen through the eyes of a child.
The Reinharz family was parents, two older brothers, Regina and younger sister Beronia. Diana was shocked to read what her dear grandmother had gone through as a child of war. Mother had died from cholera, brothers left to start their own lives, and separated from their sick father, Beronia and Regina were left to fend for themselves as adolescents. A powerful and driven young girl, Regina knew if they were going to survive, she would have to make it happen.
Although about war, the story has such power of survival, of second effort at every turn. This young girl was never loved by her own mother, who resented her being born, and treated her horribly at every opportunity. Regina found that often she encountered women who didn’t like her, and said “apparently she was not good a making women happy.” What scars are left when you are not loved by a parent? How long do those scars stay, and how to they show themselves?
Regina knocked on doors asking for food, a place to live, a job, schooling, etc. She was in charge of herself and her sister—and she was not yet a teenager.
In addition to the journal, Raab intersperses some geography and history to give perspective. For example, WW1 started in 1914, lasted four years, and 9 million lives were lost.
Additionally, Diana Raab teaches others how to write their own memoir, and believes everyone “has a story to tell,” if just encouraged.
Most war stories are not told from a child’s point of view—but don’t let that scare you off from reading this wonderful account of one brave young girl’s life.
Armchair Interview says: This is a page-turner—a story so unbelievable that is hard to realize it is real.
Author’s Web site: http://www.DianaRaab.com