Esther Rudomin

Esther Rudomin is a young child of 8 when her family is exiled from Vilna, Poland into the steppes of Siberia. She grows up quite a bit while World War II rages on in the background. She learns how to weed in potato fields when she arrives to help get food for the upcoming winter. She learns how to go without much food and survive by being creative with her family. Her family is more fortunate than many others as their exile will ultimately save them from the horrors of the concentration camps, which the rest of her family will be subjected to and perish. Instead, Esther learns a deep appreciation for Russian literature and learning, while attending school in Siberia. She matures while in exile, impacting her for the rest of her life.

One of the biggest juxtapositions in the book is the typical adolescent changes that...