During World War II, Fifteen-year-old Lithuanian refugee Lina was taken from her home by the Soviet NKVD along with her mother and younger brother. They were placed on an overcrowded train car and sent to an Internment camp in Siberia. There, Lina and her mother were assigned to dig beets for twelve hours a day. Lina, a budding artist, kept records of her family's journey by including information about her location in her drawings. She attempted to send some of them to her father who she learned was in a Soviet prison. As weeks turn into months and winter sets in, Lina and the other prisoners fight to stay alive.
This is a work of fiction set during a part of history we were never taught in school. The Soviets under Joseph Stalin occupied the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Much like Hitler did to the Jews, many people from the Baltic states were considered enemies of the state and sent to work camps in Siberia. There they were starved, beaten, or worked to death. Millions died in these camps from disease and from the brutal weather.
This story is told from Lina's point of view. We learned about her happy childhood and her work in the camp while trying not to freeze or starve to death. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emily Klein. I had a hard time with the jump between present and past as there was no warning. Other than that, this book should be mandatory reading for school age children. Everyone should know what happened. My rating: 4 Stars.
This is a work of fiction set during a part of history we were never taught in school. The Soviets under Joseph Stalin occupied the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Much like Hitler did to the Jews, many people from the Baltic states were considered enemies of the state and sent to work camps in Siberia. There they were starved, beaten, or worked to death. Millions died in these camps from disease and from the brutal weather.
This story is told from Lina's point of view. We learned about her happy childhood and her work in the camp while trying not to freeze or starve to death. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emily Klein. I had a hard time with the jump between present and past as there was no warning. Other than that, this book should be mandatory reading for school age children. Everyone should know what happened. My rating: 4 Stars.
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