By the end of 1940, aged only 26, my maternal grandmother Gunda was on a boat to Canada and a whole new life. She had my 1 1/2 year-old mother with her and was pregnant with my aunt Bettina. They were on the last government-sponsored ship taking evacuees from England.

My maternal grandmother Gunda Lambton (née von Davidson) lived what seems like more than one life. She was a creative and resourceful person who always found a way through the difficulties she encountered. As an artist, she used whatever tools and materials she could find and afford. She never stopped creating and learning and even went on to become a published author in her 60s. She still had new books in the works at the time of her death, aged 99.  

This post is about her early life in Germany. 

My first memory of Jess is from when I was 5 years old. We were living in Paris and I must have just woken from a nap. My mother said "Guess who's here?!" I had no idea. And there was Jessica.

When I talk about my aunts and uncles on my mother's side it gets confusing in about a second. My grandfather was married four times and had six children.

My maternal grandfather, Garth Williams, didn't live a life that can be summarized in a blog post. He lived in at least five countries, married four times, had six biological children and a stepson over a span of nearly forty years, played classical guitar, restored an old hacienda in Mexico, and illustrated dozens and dozens of children's books.