Laurel C. reviewed Among the Living and the Dead: A Tale of Exile and Homecoming on + 10 more book reviews
An extraordinarily intimate, thoughtful and moving account of the author's Latvian family's experiences navigating the horrors to which they were subjected during and after World War II by dueling authoritarian regimes in the Russia of Stalin and the Germany of Hitler. The author was raised in Tacoma WA by her grandmother and grandfather, who were resettled there after years in a displaced persons camp in Europe. Her grandmother's sister, brother, and mother spent years in Siberian exile before finally being allowed to return to Latvia. She captures beautifully their lives before, during and after this time of upheaval and suffering, capturing the sisters' humanity and often confused concern for each other as each struggled to know what had become of the other. Highly recommended.
