"This is the story of an independent woman who is a model for our time ... It begins in Holland during World War II, when her country is decimated by the occupying German army and she is literally left to starve. As a little girl, she learns to be self-sufficient --survival is the order of the day. After the war, she finds love in Switzerland, marries, and starts a family. Her perfect life soon unravels however, when she meets writer Fred Grunfeld, a foreign correspondent for Time, Life, and other magazines, and the new couple settles in Mallorca. Fred takes her along on his travels covering the world for various publications, from Alaska to Argentina, India, and China. Reinventing herself yet again, Toby learns her new trade as a photographer and becomes an eminent photojournalist. When the second marriage fails and her life in Mallorca evaporates, she is ready to carry on, taking on her own international assignments until Husband Number Three enters the picture, in France, and a new child is born. Courage, indomitable spirit, an open mind, and accountability only to herself are the stuff of this fascinating and inspirational story."--Jacket.