Well I can tell you that I have thoroughly enjoyed your book, what a wonderful life you and Karl have had and are still having....such adventures......Terrific for your daughters and grandchildren to have this record of the family. I laughed many times and became completly absorbed in your travels particularly to Australia...your work with Umberto and your bed & breakfast, how I wish we had been able to have gone there when you were still running it.The recipes look wonderful I have made Gerti's bread twice now it is fabulous. Shane is interested in trying your Gravlax recipe with sauces as he has done this over the years and it is always popular. Look forward to trying many moreof the recipes.
Please keep up your writing you are so clever at it and we shall await the next book!!!
~ Margot
Please keep up your writing you are so clever at it and we shall await the next book!!!
~ Margot
I was delighted to receive your book last week. Thank you ever so much!! We have spent lots of time reading it and getting to know you both through the book. Last night we where up for a long time both reading it together and laughing at some of your wonderful stories. Last Friday night we were out with friends at “The Pearl”, a restaurant in White Rock. We told them about you and your story. They had great big smiles and told us that they had celebrated their 25th anniversary at your bed and breakfast some 18 years ago. They recounted in great detail their memory of the wonderful rooms, the fresh flowers, the coffee at the door and the superb breakfast. They have done a lot of travelling but the 2 days spent with you will always be remembered. What a small world.
~ Alex
This honest biography is written with a homespun charm and authenticity. Gerti is never pretentious and never tries to "act. " Her charm envelopes you and you find yourself joyfully turning page after page, long after you intended to put the book down. The celebrity infused recollections are romantic and often flat out hilarious. Gerti is a gifted and inspired professional chef and the nearly 200 pages of included recipes reflect her delightful soul as much as her refreshing prose.
~ B.P.
A wonderful story of warmth, anecdotes, and persistence... all bound together in a fascinating read that includes a great collection of awesome recipes.
~ D. & S.
The book follows Gerti from her childhood in a small town near Cologne, Germany during the war years through her early married life in Australia, her immigration to Canada in 1965 and her success in managing three prominent Vancouver restaurants, operating her own catering business and, finally, running a renowned Bed & Breakfast on Saltspring Island for fifteen years. She grabs our interest early on with stories of the hardships endured by her family during the Cologne bombings. ... Throughout the book we are entertained by her good humour, optimism and lively anecdotes of people, some ordinary, some famous, that she meets along the way. Wherever she makes a home, the chest that carried everything she owned on her first long journey goes with her. As a bonus, Gerti includes a section of delicious recipes she has developed over the years. Very well written and entertaining to the end.
~ Sharon B.
This is the very well-written story of a journey of hope. Gerti Fuss, her husband Karl, and ultimately her three daughters travel from war torn Germany to Australia and finally to Canada in search of a place to call home. It is a good read which propels you to the end much quicker than you would like. It is full of anecdotes, some of them very humorous. Above all, it is positive and inspiring.
This compelling story illustrates the power of hope and positive thinking. In the face of many hardships, Gerti knew what she wanted to do with her life by the time she was 14, and she stuck to the plan. She notes many times in the book that despite setbacks, it all worked out fine in the end. Gerti’s “chest full of hope” was not only a box full of her precious belongings, but also a state of mind.
The book also reinforces our appreciation for Canada. Gerti has been in Canada for 40 years now, but she has never stopped marvelling at her good fortune. Her vivid descriptions of everything she loves about her adopted country encourage those of us who have lived here all our lives to look around with fresh eyes. Also, the Canada we love owes a great deal to new Canadians like Gerti who put their hearts and souls into making Canada their home and making it better.
Finally, Gerti’s ability to accomplish her career goals in the food and hospitality industry while maintaining a close and loving family life is inspiring indeed.
Finally, Gerti’s ability to accomplish her career goals in the food and hospitality industry while maintaining a close and loving family life is inspiring indeed.
~ C. L.
