Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl's Journey to Freedom
Born in post-World War II Berlin, J. Elke Ertle grew up in the British sector of the city. When she was born, forty percent of all structures in the city had been destroyed. Scarcely a building was still standing in the city center. Throughout her formative and teen years, Berlin was the focal point of a Cold War between East and West. She experienced the Berlin Blockade with only enough food left in the city to fend off starvation for thirty-five days, the Berlin Airlift, the construction of the Berlin Wall, and John F. Kennedy's unforgettable 1963 visit when he proclaimed, ""Ich bin ein Berliner."" Retired from employment in the public sector, Elke lives in San Diego with her husband of four decades, Burch. She holds a masters degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from San Diego State University and a Certificate in Fitness Exercise Science from the University of California, San Diego. She teaches group exercise classes and enjoys reading, writing, dancing, hiking, tennis, gardening, cooking, and crafts. Elke is a contributing author to ""The Real F.M. Urban,"" published in the Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, and to two anthologies.