This book was originally not meant to be a book at all. It originated from a series of letters I wrote to my husband's parents after the war ended. They had survived the destruction of their home by incendiary bombs and were waiting, at an advanced age, for our return. Since that was not happening quickly, I began to tell them about our experiences in America during the long years of separation. Our existence during those years had shaped itself in many ways quite differently than one might imagine the living conditions of an emigrated writer. However, this life, in its primitive, rural surroundings, had given us an understanding and appreciation of American daily life that was denied to many immigrants. When Erich Kästner visited the Zuckmayer parents and saw some of these letters, they suddenly came to life.