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The Endless Steppe : Growing Up in Siberia :: 006440577X
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| Exiled to Siberia In June 1942, the Rudomin family is arrested by the Russians. They are "capitalists -- enemies of the people." Forced from their home and friends in Vilna, Poland, they are herded into crowded cattle cars. Their destination: the endless steppe of Siberia.
For five years, Ester and her family live in exile, weeding potato fields and working in the mines, struggling for enough food and clothing to stay alive. Only the strength of family sustains them and gives them hope for the future. Editorial Descriptions are usually submitted by the manufacturers, publishers and authors. Contact us if you are one of them, and wish to change the above description. |
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Author: Guest
Wow-this book is packed with interesting vignettes and is a serious memoir worth its weight in gold. Esther's story will keep you riveted to the last page. I loved this book because it is so genuine and reveals what life is really like in Siberia during the 1940's. A truly beautifuly book!
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Author: Guest
All parents should read this to 8 year old kids and older!!! The author, Esther Hauzig, goes through some amazing and unbelieveable experiences, all beginning when she is snatched from her Poland home at 10 years old. Her family learns the true meaning of love in this book. Although this book is really sad, it's a must read for anybody 8 years old and over. This'll deliver a message deeper than probably any book you've ever read.
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Author: Guest
The author of this book, Esther Hautzig, was put thorough countless trials and hardships as a Polish deportee. I chose to read this book because the title sounded interesting and I've always wanted to learn more about life in Siberia. I always like the books where people are taken away from their home and have to find a way to get back. She was taken from her home and put in mud houses and forced to work on a mine, moved to a Siberian town while being forced to live in extreme conditions and dealt with her father being sent to the army and finding ways to get money to live.
She awoke one morning with her mother screaming for her to get up and hide, but suddenly there was a knock on the door. Two Nazis came in, told them to get cloths to fit in one suitcase and go outside to the truck. Her family was put on a train for months and when they finally arrived they were separated. They went to different areas of Siberia; Esther, her grandmother, mother and father were sent to a mine. It was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Their houses were made of manure and clay, and had barely enough to eat.
Finally they were moved to a small town close by and were aloud to find a house to live in. They had to work to get enough money to buy bread, and eggs were considered a delicacy. Esther and her grandmother did not work, but they had to sit at home (a fly infested mud hut) and do nothing. Esther was finally permitted to go to school, but she barely spoke any Russian so she had a hard time fitting in. She eventually made friends and learned Russian, but her teacher hated her.
One day they got a letter in the mail that said that her father was to become a soldier in the front lines, but would not be shipped off until after training. Her family prayed that the war would be over before his training was. Meanwhile, Esther found a job knitting for people and earning food for their family. They were finally told that the war was over and they would be allowed to return to Poland. Their father sent them a letter that said that he would meet them at a train station in Poland. They were so happy that he was alive, and they got on the first train back. It was a long ride, but it was worth it.
The author had grown to liking life in Siberia and did not want to leave. I think she learned that life is ok even if its not in a big mansion like she used to live in. Her experiences defiantly affected her, she even learned Russian. She got used to the life in Siberia; it will probably be hard for her to move back to Poland and live life there again.
-kevin d
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Author: Guest
The Endless Steppe was written by Esther Hautzig in 1968. She wrote about her experiences as a child in Siberia. It is an amazing story of perseverance and courage, from being pulled away from her beautiful house in Vilna to living in a Siberian mine with her family. The events that happen in the book seem fictional and unreal, and the fact that it really happened makes the book more interesting to read. In 1968, the year that the book was written, The Endless Steppe won the Honor Book Award from the Children's Spring Festival. It is an easy to read book and is full of amazing adventures. I would give the book 9 out of 10 for interesting stories and a first-hand experience of life as a Jew in the 1940's. Even if the holocaust is not of interest, it is still interesting to learn about her struggles and accomplishments in Siberia. I would recommend this book to anyone above nine years old.
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Author: Guest
It's during 1942 when little Esther Rudomin's life changes forever. A resident of Poland, who lived a comfortable life with her parents and extended family, Esther, along with her father, mother and grandparents are arrested by the Russians, suspected of being "capitalists" and ripped from their home. They are piled into cattle cars, their destination unknown. When the train finally stops, they realize they are in the harsh region of Siberia. For the next long five years, Esther recounts the struggles her family go through for food, clothing and shelter. We also see how Esther tries to fit in as a young teenager in the Siberian society. I found the book opened my eyes to an event I knew nothing about, while at the same time revealing to me the Siberian way of life during WWII.
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