Wanderlust: My Journey From Dreierwalde

Written by Gregor Kloenne, this memoir recounts the author’s boyhood on a farm in rural Germany, his World War II experiences, and his apprenticeship as a journeyman tailor. In 1955, Gregor made a life-changing decision and traveled alone by ocean liner and train to Newark, Ohio to begin a new life.

He eventually found himself in Los Angeles, where he bought a small tailor shop, and married Otilia Munoz. Together they raised three children. Taking a gamble in an industry about which he knew very little, he started an envelope manufacturing company with his brother-in-law. He eventually bought him out, and through hard work and perseverance built up the business, which is today under the stewardship of his son, Bernie. Gregor and his wife retired to Hawaii, where he raised exotic birds until the couple returned to Southern California. Ever the optimist, even in the face of losing a leg in an accident, he says, “I have had a wonderful life. My only regret is that I cannot live it all over again.”