Madame Lili Kraus was the top Mozart pianist in the world and one of the top playing Schubert's piano repertory in the 1930s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Her career was interrupted in the 1940s during her second world tour when she and her family were imprisoned by the Japanese in Jave for over two years. Lili's love of music and her incredible musical memory sustained her through that difficult time. This is a history of Lili, the performer, master teacher, and author's lifelong friend. Her playing enriched all of us who were privileged to hear her on stage, on records or tape, or in our case, in one's own home. Our personal friendship with Lili and her family was special. She was an extraordinary lady, warm, loving, full of the joy of living and adventure, and a friend of man or beast. I was able to quote her words and those of some of the great musicians and music lovers that knew her.