Welcome!

Of Books and Butterflies is a web site for people who are fascinated with East Prussian history during and after WW II and with butterflies and moths.

I know it is a big jump from history to insects, but those are my interests. Here you will find books I have written, butterflies I have collected and moths I have raised. You may apply for my “Excellent Nature Page Award” if you think your website is educational and about natural history.

Don’t forget to stop by my Blog page and tell me what you think!

HMW Publications

HMW Publications is a small company I created so I could publish my butterfly and moth books and also the story of my experiences as a young girl growing up in Germany during and after WW II.

I was born in Domnau, County Bartenstein, East Prussia (Ostpreussen), Germany in 1938. In January of 1945 we fled from the Russian invasion. In 1958 I came to the United States in order to improve my English. I had planned to return to Germany after two years, but I stayed, married and raised a family instead. I live in southwest Missouri and have collected, studied, observed and photographed Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) in the Ozark Region for over 30 years. Most of the photographs you will see here were taken in my butterfly garden.