She was an american writer who lived for long years with her faithfull mate Alice B.Toklas in Paris, Rue de Fleurus 23. She was from jewish descent but managed to survive world war II in Paris, where she even set up a relief organisation. Alice B.Toklas published much of Gertrudes work on her own. Both run a salon with the most known artists of those times from Modigliani to Joyce and Hemingway. A very special friendship connected them to Picasso and Matisse.