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| A deeply moving memoir of lineage, love and liberation that weaves together five generations of family history across two continents, revealing how love and resilience transcend the boundaries of time, place, and identity. From the wine-making villages of the German Rhineland to the vibrant streets of San Francisco’s Castro district, Sweet Emma traces an extraordinary journey of self-discovery against the backdrop of a tumultuous century. Uli Paulin’s memoir begins with his great-great-grandmother Maria, left behind when her parents emigrated to America in 1880, and follows the intricate threads of family lineage through two world wars, the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, and the emergence of gay liberation. At the heart of the story is Sweet Emma—his beloved grandmother—whose unconditional love provided an anchor through childhood upheaval and whose memory continues to guide him across oceans and decades. What readers will discover: A vivid portrait of 20th-century German history through intimate family stories The author’s courageous journey from small-town Bavaria to cosmopolitan Berlin, then to AIDS-era San Francisco A tender exploration of how family bonds persist across generations and geographic divides The untold stories of LGBTQ+ life in 1970s Berlin and 1980s and 1990s San Francisco during the height of the AIDS crisis and emergence of the Internet. A unique perspective on Silicon Valley’s early tech boom from an immigrant’s eyes Written with remarkable honesty and lyrical beauty, this memoir captures the universal themes of belonging, identity, and the search for home while offering an intimate window into pivotal moments in German and American history. Paulin’s storytelling gracefully balances humor and heartbreak, showing how the threads of our ancestors’ lives continue to weave through our own. Sweet Emma is more than a personal memoir—it’s a testament to the enduring power of family stories and the courage required to live authentically in any era. Perfect for readers who enjoyed: Educated by Tara Westover, The Unwinding of the Miracle by Julie Yip-Williams, or When Brooklyn Was Queer by Hugh Ryan. “We accept the responsibility. We continue the lineage.” |