How I Came to Berlin: A Memoir

Elizabeth Shaw, who has until now remained all but unknown in her native Ireland, was one of the most celebrated children’s authors in East Germany, producing a series of masterful children’s books that have stayed in print since her death in 1992. She was also a deeply complex, passionate woman, a brilliant author, and a gifted artist beyond the confines of Children’s literature.

Born in Belfast in 1920 to Irish parents, Shaw was a life-long outsider, sheltered from the poverty and viole...