Daring escapes, backyard firing squads, communist snitches, bowlfuls of goulash, gargoyles, gray skies and bone-chilling winters - Victoria Dougherty comes from the ultimate Cold War family. Writing with humor and raw soul, she recounts the heart-pounding stories she grew up hearing at her dinner table and the two-hanky drama that played on in her home. She ponders how her family’s bad luck - so bad her parents dubbed it a curse - against all reason became a force for good in her life.