Under arrest! The words came as a shock to young Esther Rudomin, Polish citizen. Because of their Jewish heritage and Father's business success, Esther's family faced certain deportment to Siberia. This sobering tale of a family torn from their homeland, from close relatives, and eventually from one another, paints a vivid picture of grim determination to survive against overwhelming odds. The Siberian steppes, the grueling climate, and oppressive rule come alive in this true account of the author's five years spent as a young Jewish deportee, exiled to Siberia during World War II. The bestselling classic of World War II--now in a digest edition. "Taken prisoner by the Russians in 1941 and shipped by cattle car to a forced labor camp, Esther (Hautzig), her mother, and her grandmother managed to stay together and to keep each other alive through near starvation and arctic winters".--ALA Booklist.