Sixteen Years in Siberia: Memoirs of Rachel and Israel Rachlin

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Summary: Survival in Siberia - not only physically
Review: The Rachlin family were jewish and in the between the two worst ditators ever seen. 5 miles from their home in Lithuania, Nazi Germany and 100 miles to the East, Stalin Russia. Two days before the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, the Rachlins were deported to Siberia. The irony is that it saved their lives. None of their family in Lithuania survived the Holocaust. The story is not about the camps. This family was "only" deported. But for any family that would be a tremendous tragegy. The fact that it was worse for many other families could hardly be expected to give any comfort. They survived 16 years in deportation in different places in Eastern Siberia. But the true victory over the cruel system was, that they got out and not only that: Through all these years and the years after their escape, they continued being loving, caring and decent people. This in spite of the undecent state that almost crushed them. It is also the story of the so called "capitalist decadent West". Rachel was Danish and her Danish family tried to help her and her family out. The Danish Prime Minister used much time trying to get them out and in 1956 he succeeded. Kruschov became very angry: "Now we should negotiate about oil tankers, and all you can talk about is one single family! ". Then he said that he would look into it, and the family was freed. So this is also a story about a small country caring for even one single family on the very highest level. And one final thing: The family was very fond of Russia and her people. However, to the Stalinist and communist system they did not have much good to say. This is a story that could have been your own story if you were born in a wrong place like Yugoslavia, China and the like. This is why you should read it!