In Love and Rutabaga, Claire Hsu Accomando reflects on her formative years growing up in war-torn France. Born in 1937 to a French mother and Chinese father, Accomando was just a child when her father departed for China on diplomatic duty in 1941. Left behind, she and her younger brothers were raised by their mother and grandparents in the small village of Rahon during the German occupation.
Despite the fear and uncertainty of World War II, Accomando paints a surprisingly joyful and richly textured portrait of those years. Her grandparents' home became a sanctuary - not just for their family, but for anyone in need of refuge. Her grandmother's love of music and storytelling brought beauty and wonder into a world clouded by conflict.
Blending humor, tenderness, and the innocence of a child's view, Accomando recounts the everyday moments that defined her childhood. The title's pairing of "love" and "rutabaga" captures the dual essence of affection and survival that sustained her family. Through engaging storytelling and vivid detail, she offers a unique memoir of resilience, warmth, and unexpected happiness in the midst of war.
Claire Hsu Accomando was born in Geneva, Switzerland, to a Chinese father and French-Armenian mother. She spent her early childhood in rural France, separated from her father who was in China during the second world war. Love and Rutabaga, first published by St. Martin's Press and released in a French translation by L'Harmattan in 2020, tells the story of those war years.Reunited after the war, the family moved to New York when Claire's father joined the United Nations. While she graduated from New York University with a science degree, she was always drawn more to the arts. Claire taught History through Art and English as a Second Language in Southern California for many years. Claire Hsu Accomando lives in Bonita, California.
