Ingrid Silvian was born in Solingen, Germany in 1930. She and her mother moved to Cologne when she was four years old, where she grew up. During the last couple of years of WWII, they stayed in East Germany to escape the bombings. Silvian came to the United States of America in 1953 as a war bride with her 1-year-old daughter. In later life, she published essays on social issues under Beacon Press (Boston) and others, as well as a monthly column for the SENIOR TIMES of Columbus Ohio for 10 years, where she made her home for the last 33 years. The author has lived in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Azores Islands. She has three daughters and one grandson.