This was an engaging, quick read. Paula Fox is a wonderful writer and her observations of this passage of her youth in a Europe recently devastated by World War II often had wonderful turns of phrase. She left me with a question: where do I go to see outside of myself? This time of her life accomplished that for Fox. I'd only read one Fox book before, the marvelous children's book, THE SLAVE DANCER. This memoir came out 15-years-ago, it was a follow-up to her memoir of childhood BORROWED FINERY. I am going to keep this book and perhaps read it again after I read BORROWED FINERY.

After reading BORROWED FINERY I was glad to return to this memoir. I had more understanding of Fox's interaction with her troubled New York students at the end of the book, her effort to help them see something beyond their rough, abandoned childhoods. Her childhood was rough and abandoned and her adventures as a young woman in post-World War II Europe helped her to see beyond that. I'm leaving this with material for considering my own youth. I hope the next reader will find this book as engaging as I did.

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The journalism related books I left in this little free library are there no more. I am happy for this. I hope these books have happy travels. Perhaps a reader is enjoying this one now.