The story that is not so beautiful The book The Invisible Woman by Ika Hugel-Marshell is a fantastic and horrible book at the same time. It's great because you get an account of the real history and what it was like in Germany after the war. It's horrible because it's cruel how they treated Afro-Germans or anyone who was different in any way. However, stating that America was not much better at cruelly treating people of black descent. Life in post-war West Germany was difficult for mixed-race Germans due to racism in general and the fact that society and institutions perpetuated racial beliefs. Ms. Hugel-Marshall's account offers a glimpse into what life in Germany was like for different people. Hugel-Marshall was called a "child of the occupation" when she was born in a small town called Bavaria in March 1947, in the heart of Germany. An “occupation child” referred to children born of mixed race. Hugel-Marshall's mother was white and her father was an African-American soldier stationed in a nearby town. When she was born things were relatively problem-free. “I grew up like other children grew up. There was always enough to eat, though no more. I slept in my parents' room. We were a family. I was aware that people whispered into their hands when my mother and I went grocery shopping, and that there was something about me that was different from other children. “ (Invisible Women page 6) But that didn't last long. Hugel-Marshell was only five years old and had no idea that she posed a horrible problem for Germany. His country believed he was immoral and had no place in society. That she should be taken away from her family…halfway…tall and believes in herself. She is part of women's groups who want equality in Germany. Even when she meets her family in America and finally joins her father, she sees many black, loving faces looking up at her. In conclusion, this book was very informative and was much appreciated. As a free thinker in society one can only hope that the “world” as a whole has learned many mistakes in the past and changed its policies towards people who seem different. We are all the same. People trying to live, pay rent, raise kids, and go to school. Nobody is better than anyone else. This should be taught on the first day of life. No matter what country you live in, skin color shouldn't be an issue. Your skin color has nothing to do with how you live your days on this earth. Your personal choices do. Life is what you make of it.