A story that is not so beautifulThe book Invisible Woman by Ika Hugel-Marshell is a great and horrible book at the same time. It's great because you get an account of real history and what it was like in Germany after the war. It's horrible because the way they treated Afro-Germans or anyone different in one way or another is so cruel. However, in saying that America wasn't much better at treating people cruelly, those who were of black ancestry. Life in post-war West Germany was difficult for mixed-race Germans due to racism in general and the fact that society and institutions perpetuated racial beliefs. Ms. Hugel-Marshall's account offers a glimpse of what life was like in Germany for different people. Hugel-Marshall was called the "occupation baby" when she was born in a small town called Bavaria in March 1947, in the heart of Germany. An “occupation baby” referred to children born to mixed-race people. Hugel-Marshall's mother was white and her father was an African-American soldier stationed in a nearby town. When she was born, things went relatively smoothly. “I grew up the same way as other children. There was always enough to eat, but no more. I slept in my parents' room. We were a family. I was aware that people whispered behind their hands when my mother and I went shopping and that there was something about me that was different from other children. » (Invisible Women p. 6) But it didn't last very long. Hugel-Marshell was only five years old and had no idea that she was a horrible problem for Germany. Her country thought she was immoral and had no place in society. That she should be taken away from her family... middle of paper ...... raised and believing in herself. She is part of women's groups who want equality in Germany. Also, when she meets her family in America and finally unites with her father, she sees many loving black faces looking at her. In conclusion, this book was very educational and was very well received. As a free thinker in society, we can only hope that the “world” as a whole has learned from many past mistakes and changed its policies towards people who seem different. We are all the same. People trying to live, pay their rent, raise their children and go to school. No one is better than anyone else. This should be taught from the first day of life. No matter what country you live in, skin color shouldn't be a problem. Skin color has nothing to do with how you live your days on this earth. Your own personal choices do that. Life is what you make it.