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Berlin, so he quickly became fluent in German, passed the test, and received his degree there. Later, he received an MA degree from Cal State University at Fullerton in German Linguistics and Literature. He worked for Siemens company in Germany, but returned home to care for his widowed, ill father. During that time, he accepted substitute jobs teaching German, History, Government, ESL and U.S. Citizenship classes, and became a permanent teacher in Utah, where he was named Adult Educator of the Year. He retired after teaching for 40 years. His many experiences living in Germany have given Cloud an insight into the history and culture that few people have. He retired to Idaho after turning 80 and contemplated working on his first novel. He began work on Brandenburg, named after the famous landmark, the Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin. After a fall on the ice, he moved back to California where his book idea became an award-winning novel. This book has become a trilogy with Brandenburg I, which is about the period leading up to and including WWI. Brandenburg II includes Hitler's rise to power and WWII. He is currently working on the third part of his story about the latter part of the 20th century in Germany. Lest readers may think this is a history book, it is far from it. Told from the German perspective, the narrative follows two young couples and their families. An intriguing twist to this simple story makes it more complex as politics and culture are interwoven. One of the families is Jewish. Although Jews and gentiles worked and lived side by side in Germany before the Hitler era, intermarriage was frowned upon. The tension this brings reveals much about what is to come in Germany as revealed in Brandenburg II. The appreciation for Germans and Jews is revealed in his novels. As Cloud's biography explains, "his years of teaching brought him in contact with people of many nationalities and cultures. Cloud has attempted to bring together in his novel his impressions gained from interactions with these groups — especially with German and Jewish people — and how they in turn have related to each other." Note: A copy of Cloud's first book can be found in the Four Seasons Library. FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | SEPTEMBER 2021 11 Admiration for the Jewish community grew in Cloud. Living in Boston during his 20s, he found the German and Jewish communities to be extremely hospitable and inclusive. "My three friends included me in their Shabbat dinners and I was even given a yarmulka."

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