When childhood dreams of becoming a physician were derailed after World War II, Meta Evenbly ‘94 grew up to recover from her own wartime wounds and offer solace and hope to generations of children everywhere with her first book, “Brave Face: The Inspiring WWII Memoir of a Dutch/German Child,” by Amsterdam Publishers. Written when Evenbly was 87, the historical tale was co-authored with her daughter, Caroline Crocker, a multi-genre author, biology professor, and blogger addressing science, faith, teaching and other topics. Crocker describes her mother as a “remarkable lady and an inspiration.” describes her mother as a “remarkable lady and an inspiration.”

As WWII progresses, Evenbly, who was five when the war began, finds her life changed when her family slides into starvation, which renders the formerly vivacious child so weak that she doesn’t care if she dies. After the war ends, poverty, prejudice, and PTSD continue to dog her every step. Should she give up in despair, put on a brave face, or accept reality and work toward new goals other than becoming a physician?

Evenbly advises, “It’s important not to stop living before you’re dead.” This unique manuscript details Evenbly’s wartime childhood and invites the reader to consider the impact that deprivation, intolerance and violence have on children everywhere. Evenbly wrote the book to make a positive difference in the lives of the generations that follow her. Extra information can be found on the Brave Face Youtube channel here. New videos will be released twice a week. There is more information at https://iammeta.org. information at https://iammeta.org.

“Her memoir has universal human themes that touch our hearts movingly,” Dr. Hemchand Gossei,  Holocaust expert, professor, and author of numerous books on the Jewish Bible, said. “…Evenbly gives us hope, an act of grace. ‘Brave Face’ is a memoir to be cherished.”

Later married, Evenbly finds herself living in Texas for nearly 30 years, with five of those in Houston. She had five children, and in her spare time, at the age of 59, she earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts with concentrations in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of St. Thomas.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1994.

The hardback, paperback or Kindle book are available for pre-order here.