Gail Hopke

Now I Know --the Private Memoirs of Robyn Stanyar Gail Hopke

From the picturesque town of Victoria, in British Columbia, comes the story of Robyn Stanyar, who as a child, often dreamed of becoming a wild-animal trainer; however, her mother's wishes that she become a Hollywood star would take precedence. Robyn excelled in all she did in Hollywood and was fast becoming the child star her mother had hoped for, until expired visas caused them to be sent back to Canada. A few months later she left with her mother for Europe to be trained by a leading operatic Italian maestro at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Unfortunately, it was the early 1940s and her operatic studies in Paris and Rome would come to a sudden halt with the outbreak of World War II. From being wined and dined with the rich and famous, and even living next door to Mussolini, who entertained Hitler as a frequent guest, Robyn and her mother were suddenly sent fleeing for their lives in an extraordinary turn of events. She survived the terror of being shot at by the Nazis on land and at sea; hiding out in bomb shelters, vicious rapes, lover's suicides, serious illnesses, divorce, widowhood and finally, drug and alcohol abuse. For over fifty years, she suffered from a once formerly unknown condition called Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, which almost caused her to take her own life - until she found her true peace with the Lord. Now over eighty years old, she says that the greatest joy she could have in the years left of her life is to know that others will learn from her past failures and mistakes, and become blessed with a wonderful life instead. 'Everyone,' she says, 'deserves that chance.'