The grim historical circumstances of war, deportation, and racial prejudice provide the context for the human dramas in The Endless Steppe, but Hautzig does not dwell on the intense moral questions raised by the atrocities of the war. Instead, the characters in her story accept the tragic aspects of existence and, though often sad, sick, and demoralized, go about the business of coping with the many challenges to their bodies and their spirits. Hautzig also refrains from explicitly stating the importance of religious faith as a defense against adversity. The strength of character that Esther and her family convey grows out of the story itself rather than from any commentary on its significance; the narrative is its own best testimony to Hautzig's theme that human beings must look within themselves for the strength to persevere against evil.

Although the Rudomins seem resilient and courageous...