A dream come true: Emily Benz, who is currently living in Bergdietikon, Switzerland, published her first book at the age of 83, in which she uncovers the story of a young daughter of a captain in China during the early 20th century.

As a child she wanted nothing more than owning her own book. At her friend´s places there were always books above the fireplace but in her own home there were none to be found. During the second world war her family couldn´t afford to buy any books. Only when she earned her own money was she able to buy books for herself. Nowadays she owns an entire collection.

That could have been the reason why she was looking for books on eBay 18 years ago. Benz explains that she usually only bought postcards or trinkets. On this one evening, however, something special caught her eye. Somebody was selling a collection of old diaries: notebooks of a British captain who was living in China at the beginning of the 20^th century. Her interest was piqued

It was a fateful encounter

Born and raised in Cleveland, in the US, Benz was fascinated with China and its culture from an early age. Due to movies about the Chinese Hawaiian detective Charlie Chan, as well as stories from her relatives who had visited the far-away country she developed a passion that is still ongoing today. She says it was a fateful coincidence that delivered the diaries to her.

Her fascination with different cultures was the reason she visited foreign countries at the age of 20. In 1961 she visited Brazil as an exchange student during her studies at the Wesleyan University in Ohio. Her trip was meant to end with a last journey through the country.

While traveling to the Iguazú-waterfalls with a group of students, she met a Mr Heinrich Benz from the Limmattal. Benz remembers “His travel destinations were the same as our group´s so we met quite often.”

They immediately came to like each other. Unfortunately, it would take another nine years until they finally started a relationship. Benz finished her studies in liberal arts in 1963 and started teaching in elementary schools in the US. With her first salary she visited Henry, that´s how she called him, in Switzerland. The following year he visited her in the US. They wrote letters and stayed in contact with each other. Even when Benz went to the Amazon for two years or taught the children of Air-Force pilots on the Philippines, they would stay in touch.

“It was one of the best times of my life. I was able to travel during the holidays and often went to the far east”, says Benz. Only in 1970, at the age of 29 did she move to Switzerland and marry her Henry. She remembers that it was quite hard at the beginning. She found a job at an international school, where she taught the fourth grade. For a while she studied psychology and sinology at the University in Zürich. However, after 7 semesters it was too much for her and her job as a teacher was more important to her.

Her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson´s disease in 1997. It caused many changes. She cared for him for 14 years with the help of a Swiss care organization until he died in 2014. During his illness she spent a lot of time in front of the computer screen. That´s how she discovered the diaries in 2006.

Unearthed treasures from the past

The Notebooks were of a captain Hillman who lived in China during the beginning of the 20^th century. Back then Great Britain occupied large parts of China, for example the city of Jiujiang on the Yangtse river, where he lived with his family. Benz regards the books as real treasures. “I immediately knew that I was in possession of something only historians usually get to see.”

Some of the notebooks were diaries of the daughter of the captain. Gwendoline Hillman captured her childhood in China on these pages. The detailed stories fascinated Benz the most. She had to find out what had happened to Gwen. She researched for years and even hired somebody to support her in her quest. She contacted grandchildren of the captain´s daughter and found documents to fill in the gaps in the life of Gwendoline Hillman.

She unearthed a magical childhood, difficulties in the family, four marriages and an affair during her research. During the past 18 years Benz researched and wrote about the life of Gwendoline. In July, she was able to publish her first book “The River Never Left Her”.  It simultaneously relates the story of Gwen´s life and the discovery of the diaries by Benz herself.

More Books to follow

“I always wanted to write a book and somehow it was clear to me that I would do so as an older lady”, she says and laughs. Before she never had the time or right idea to do so.

However, this chance she couldn´t let pass. Her first book is only available in English and to order right now. Benz intends to have it translated, to allow more people in the German-speaking world to read it. It was only the beginning of her career as an author. Right now, she is writing three different stories for children, she plans on publishing. Her passion for travels and foreign cultures is part of her everyday life. Even today she still travels a lot. Only last year did she visit Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Literature is also part of every step of her life. She supports an organization called “Big Brother Mouse” in Laos with the goal of giving children the opportunity to read. “There is nothing better than reading. You never stop learning”, says Benz. In the future the 83-year-old intends to finish writing her children’s stories and have them translated. The book about Gwendoline Hillman is to be translated as well. On top of that she wants to travel to Peru. She has a lot to do still and is still curious, she says. 

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