In 1947, war bride Ursula arrived in Minneapolis torn between guilt over leaving loved ones behind and her desire to start a new life — and a family — in this promised land. But the American dream proves elusive — she is struck with polio and then shocked by the sudden death of her GI husband.
Christine Gallagher Kearney’s new book, “What We Leave Behind,” tells the story of war bridge Ursula, who marries an American soldier named Roger in order to leave a ravaged Berlin in 1947. Having also left behind her mother, Ursula carries a heavy burden of guilt, but she resolves to make a new life for herself across the Atlantic.
Once Ursula’s documentation has been put in order, she flies to Minnesota to reunite with Roger. Despite the stories she had heard during the war about how rich and abundant life was in America, she is surprised at the relatively spartan existence in the Midwest.
As the young couple settle into their life together, they do their best to get to know each other, something they don’t always find easy. Ursula learns that Roger was engaged before the war, and as might be expected, they work through an awkward conversation about what the relationship meant to him.
Throughout the narrative, Ursula faces a series of challenges she must overcome. She is unexpectedly stricken with polio and loses the ability to walk. Then, without warning, Roger seizes up one day and dies of a heart attack, leaving her both a widow and childless and unsure about what to do.
Ursula takes in a boarder named Mateo, an Argentinian medical technician, to make ends meet. He tries to learn German, not because of Ursula, but rather to better understand the writings of Karl Marx. A devoted communist, Mateo attempts to balance his ideological fervor and his relationship with Ursula, who has fallen in love with him.
Ursula learns she is pregnant but, at the same time, is unable to convince Mateo to stay with her. He travels to Cuba to further explore his Marxist leanings and eventually decides to return home to Argentina. Ursula counsels with friends about how she will go on, pregnant and without a husband.
The book concludes in 1960 with Ursula giving birth to her daughter. By this time, she has come full circle in her attempt to reconcile coming to America and abandoning her mother. “What We Leave Behind” tells a moving story about regret, uncertainty, decisions made – for better or worse – and the determination to live with the consequences.
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