In A World Gone Mad: The True Story of Surviving a Dictatorship, author Gretel Timan opens a window into one of history’s darkest periods and the unyielding hope of a young girl determined to live freely. This deeply moving autobiography continues to resonate with readers seeking stories of resilience, courage, and triumph over tyranny.
Told through the eyes of a child growing into a young woman, Timan’s memoir begins in the shadow of Hitler’s crumbling empire and unfolds into the grim reality of East Germany’s Stalin-led dictatorship. Her early years were marked by hunger, fear, and a loss of innocence—an upbringing devoid of the joys of childhood. Yet amid the tears and despair, Gretel’s spirit never broke. At the age of twenty-one, she was finally granted the chance to migrate to the United States, a turning point that transformed her life. From the ruins of oppression, Gretel built a future rooted in freedom, education, and love. “It was a totally different world,” she recalls, “but a world of opportunities—a life without fear.”
Now a teacher and proud holder of both a BA and MA, Timan reflects on her extraordinary journey with gratitude and purpose. Her story, which spans Germany and Austria before reaching the shores of America, offers a deeply personal perspective on survival and renewal. She wrote A World Gone Mad to reveal what life was truly like under a dictatorship, to confront her past and find healing, and to resurrect the memory of the twelve-year-old girl who endured unimaginable hardship.
At its heart, A World Gone Mad carries a timeless message for readers everywhere. Timan reminds us that healing after trauma is possible and that freedom should never be taken for granted. Life’s journey, with all its highs and lows, shapes who we become. Through her experiences, she encourages readers to hold on to their values, to cherish their friendships, and to find solace in the beauty that surrounds them.
Through Gretel Timan’s eyes, readers are reminded of both the fragility and strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of hope in a world that once went mad.
About the Author:Born in eastern Germany under Hitler’s rule, Gretel Timan survived the fall of the so-called Thousand-Year Empire, the starvation of war, and the harsh control of the Soviet-occupied East. Forced to flee through West Berlin to avoid arrest, she later migrated to the United States, where she rebuilt her life from the ground up. Today, she holds degrees in education, continues to teach at a university-affiliated senior college, and cherishes the life and freedom she fought to achieve.
A World Gone Mad is available for purchase on Amazon and other online retailers.
Global Book Network - Gretel Timan, author of A World Gone Mad
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