The Hesse family resettled in New York City in 1939, moving into a German Jewish community in Washington Heights.

In 1945, Hesse's parents divorce. Her father retained custody of the girls and remarried shortly afterwards.

On the week of Eva's 10th birthday in 1946, Ruth Marcus killed herself.

"My life has been so traumatic, so absurd, there hasn't been one normal, happy thing," Hesse later wrote. "I'm the easiest person to make happy, and the easiest person to make sad because I've gone through so much. And it's never stopped."