Skim milk and long socks were outward signs of the deprivations I did not perceive as such in my childhood. My generation had not experienced better times; we only knew this. Bernd-Lutz Lange recounts a sparse yet happy childhood after the war, which many from his generation will remember similarly. A bucket of potatoes as a confirmation gift was highly welcome back then, and stubble slightly improved the modest food budget. People were resourceful when it came to tackling scarcity. Those who owned a handcart considered themselves fortunate, while a bicycle was seen as the greatest luxury. While Western peers traveled to the Riviera, we might have gone to visit relatives in Thuringia. With a wink, Bernd-Lutz Lange not only examines his own childhood; his memories are.