Description
Book SynopsisA French army marches through Europe to attack Russia. In Lithuania, a Russian province, the people try to remain on the sidelines but the peasant Kadišius family are dragged into it. As the story unfolds and follows the everyday lives of succeeding generations we begin to understand exactly what it meant to live in this beautiful but little known country occupied by an alien power. Years later the peasants are still under the same Russian yoke. Poverty, cruel persecution of the Jews and the attempted erasure of Lithuanian culture forces an Exodus from the country of almost Biblical proportions towards the West. It is a decision that is not easy for the migrants but one which many have been compelled to take. In 1894 Elzbieta, a farm girl, and her sister Juoza, are seeking something better. They set out on their long, eventful journey through life, by road, train and ship. Arriving in England, the country which has offered them sanctuary, Elzbieta is appalled to discover the teeming slums of London's Stepney, where she is destined to live. The culture shock is great as she quietly battles to retain her identity huddled together with others of her kind in the Lithuanian ghetto. Her family's trials, throughout the years, are mirrored by world events. She and they fight against the odds armed with intelligence, humanity, honesty, and a religious faith which is sometimes not without its contradictions. The family progresses despite many setbacks. Between them they make a huge difference to the lives of others. In wartime and peace they are involved in major events as were their Lithuanian ancestors. This is about the striving of the human soul for something better.
