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Summary: Not just for young readers
Review: The "Endless Steppe" by Esther Hautzig has an universal appeal and can be enjoyed by readers of any age. I listened to the recorded book version and was quickly caught up in the life of this young Polish girl during WWII. The family exile to Siberia and their struggle to survive was seen through the eyes of this young girl. Adults should read this book, if only to be reminded that children view adversity and struggles differently than adults. The descriptions of the steppes was written from someone who grew to love them despite their dangerous and unforgiving nature.
Rating: 
Summary: A good book
Review: The book is about a wealthy Polish family who is sent to Siberia because of their liberal thoughts. They were taken from their home in Poland and sent to a labor camp in the steppe region of Siberia. The youngest in the family is Esther, a young girl who is the narrator and author of this true story. The setting is Poland but quickly moves to the snowy, brutal steppe. The book tells of the terrible conditions of the family's imprisonment. This book is both suspenseful and reflective. The family goes through many hard times such as poverty and starvation and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next. Esther had a hard life but she survived to write about it. This book teaches the reader about what happened to all the persecuted families in eastern Europe.
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Summary: A must read book.
Review: The book was really touching. It was very well written and had vivid description. Esters story showed history through a young persons point of view which made it very interesting.It showed the good and bad of their situation and really showed history in a way young people like I can relate.
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Summary: Must Read
Review: The book, The Endless Steppe is a realistic story that keeps you turning the pages. It is worthwhile to read. The story was published in 1986. The author of this book is Esther Hautzig. Mr. Stevenson inspired her to write about her experience in Siberia. Hautzig wrote a few other books, which have no relationship with the Holocaust. The purpose of this piece of literature was to teach others the hardships people had to deal with during a war and how Jews felt during the Holocaust. It shows the problems the" prisoners" faced and how harshly they were treated. The Endless Steppe is a dramatic novel. The Endless Steppe is a novel that should be cherished. The story line is very dramatic and full of sorrow. In the begging of the tale Esther, Tata, Raya and Grandma are forced out of their beloved homes in Poland by the Nazis. They travel in cattle cars for six weeks. The Rubomin family finally reach their destination, Siberia, where they are labors of the gypsum mine. Later Esther and her family move to the village, in the little city they find better jobs and attend school. In the end Esther, Tata, Raya and Grandma all return back to Poland. The plot of this story doesn't have as much action as Tom Sawyer, but it is still intriguing. There are many problems the characters encounter during the course of the novel. The events that take place are very emotional and touching. Many of the events are melancholy. The drama gives the book more "life". Hautzig is descriptive. She describes every scene in the novel. The reader can imagine the places even though there are no pictures and all the people come to life. Unlike Tom Sawyer this book was simpler to read. There was rarely dialect. The vocabulary was mot very challenging in this story. The plot is easier to follow, because there were not as many mini- adventures like the other class novel. The reader got many events in the story mix up. There was too much happening at once, but The Endless Steppe is not nearly as confusing. The characters were well developed. It was simple to comprehend their feelings. The audience immediately knew if they were down hearted, frustrated, or merry. Each person in The Endless Steppe was totally different. Everyone had a unique personality. Esther was very optimistic when her mom never had any hope. The fact that the characters in the story were real people who lived though the same torture help them seem more like they were from 1940's and they lived through this terrible time period. The character's physical description is not one of Hautzig strong areas, however. She gave a very brief portrait of the people. The reader could not picture what Tata or Nikita looked like. The Endless Steppe is packed with themes and messages. One of the authors messages was to treasure all that you own. During a battle everything is rare. There is only a little bit of everything. Even paper and sugar seem like gold during war. Those who are well off should feel lucky and never waste anything. The Holocaust was a very difficult time for the Jewish society. They had to farm or work in factories for a small sum in order to support their families. They loved many loved ones and faced many problems. The Jews always felt insecure and frightened the Nazis would take them to Concentration camps. Esther shows the reader all the downs the Jews went though. The author takes the audiences through the same torture. She makes them feel sorrow and pity for the Jews. She wants us to understand that a slaughter, could have happen to any other race also, not only happened to the Jews but. Hauzing hopes that everyone will help those in need, by donating money and praying for those in war. There was not a lot of symbolism in this novel. One symbol that was used however was that left foot first would start a bad day. On the morning the Nazi soldiers came and took Esther and her family always from Poland, Esther stepped out the door left foot first. That day turned out to be a day in inferno for everyone. The second example of symbolism is that a fine start is a wonderful end. The main character was transferred to another school. There she met fabulous teacher from rich Moscow. After that scene all went well. Esther fell and love and soon Tata, Raya, and grandma were back in Poland. Many parts in the book were well written but two of them really stood out. The scene where Esther was trapped in a buran (natural disaster) is one of the few sections of the book which are loaded with excitement and engagement. It is very tense, too. The horrifying words made the scene more frightening. The reader would wonder if girl could survive such a powerful storm. When that part of the story ends and Esther is saved the whole audience feels a sense of relief and gladness. This part of the tale was full of emotions. The ending of The Endless Steppe was a meaningful section, too. It was prefect it tied the whole story together. The ending was a joyful and uplifting part in the novel. The Endless Steppe was an intriguing novel that was thought provoking, and informative. This book would appeal to any group of young adults (12-17), who enjoy reading about tragedies or are interested in the Holocaust. The book is one of the best novels. The plot is capturing. The characters are developed and realistic. There is no way that this novel can be improved. All in all The Endless Steppe is a fine piece of literature.
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Summary: The Endless Steppe
Review: The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig is a true reality . It proves that how cruel people can really be since its a true story. You know the best thing about this book is the little girl name Esther. She is a ture optimist. When she gets taken from her dream house in Vilna Poland, she gets over it and moves on. When having little food no bed no nothing she thanks God for still being alive. This girl makes it through thick and thin. Let me tell you something people The Endless Steppe is more then a book its a reality that can change your life.
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Summary: The Endless Steppe
Review: The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig is a wonderful book. It is a biography of Esther's life, and how she had to survive the Holocaust. Her family is taken from their beautiful home in Vilna, Poland because they are "capitalists, enemies of the people." Esther is given 10 minutes to pack when she doesn't even know where she's going. They end up being sent to the steppe in Siberia which is, to Esther, the middle of nowhere. She is put to work doing hard labor for five years. Her family has to do equally as hard activities against their will. Weeding potato fields and dynamiting mines become second nature to the Rudomin family after a while. When Esther is sent to a poorly established school an hour walk from her home. She has many of the same worries that teenagers today have to face. She wants to fit in more than anything in the world. Accomplishing her goal is much more than easy. Esther is just like any average teenager today only she can't take anything for granted or she will not survive. Esther Hautzig is an amazing author and her story was definitely worth telling. Her style of writing is so moving that I couldn't put the book down. The Endless Steppe is such a moving book and it is definitely one of my favorites.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Narrative but Poorly written
Review: The Endless Steppe is a good narrative book. The author did a good job trying to bring the reader into the story. If your looking for a leisure story of a girl in Siberia, you've found it. I can think of a hundred books that are better. For what it is worth, a children's novel (by the way my little sister loved it), it is pretty good. But when it comes down to it, it is just not well-written and a tad drab. By the way, what's so bad about communism? How are we to sympathize with a spoiled brat? Power to the people, workers, and laborers! !
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Summary: The Endless Steppe
Review: The Endless Steppe is about a young Jewish girl named Esther who lived in Vilna, Poland during World War II. She is convicted of being a capitalist, an enemy of the people. She and her family are put into a cattle car along with 40 other people and taken to an endless steppe of Siberia where she will spend the next five years of her life. Esther has to learn how to adjust to the steppe including making friends, the tempature, the amount of food given to her daily, and dealing with the normal worries a teenager has to face. As if that were not enough, Esther has to face physical pain while working in the potato fields. Then when a snow storm hits, her mother has to go out looking for her. At the end, the Russian soldiers came to get them and Esther is so attached to her new home she doesn't want to leave. At certain times in the book it really seems like God is there with them. She and her family go from having a life full of privilege to a life with barely any food or water. I think Esther Hautzig tells this story with wonderful energy and excitement. It has beautiful descriptions of the setting and characters. The conversations take your breath away with fascination. This book is a drama, comedy and an exhilarating story. I think if you are interested in a story that sort of gets you ready for bigger books about the Holocaust you should definably read this book. It is an exciting yet fascinating story, although it would be better for people ages ranging from 8-14. It is a difficult but intriguing story that will fascinate young adult readers!
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Summary: Adjusting in the Worst of Times
Review: The Endless Steppe, by Esther Hautzig, is the true story of a young Jewish girl named Esther Rudomin, and her family living in Siberia. The Story takes place during World War II, when the wealthy Rudomin Family are pronounced capitalists. They're removed from their beautiful home and loved ones in Vilna, Poland. They are taken by train, along with peasant families to an endless steppe in Siberia where they are forced to work in various places, including a gypsum mine. Siberia lacks many necessities. The only way they are able to survive the harsh Siberian conditions is the thought that they must never be brought down. With the help of many friends along the way, the Rudomins eventually learn to fit into the Siberian puzzle. Every obstacle becomes part of their everyday life for five long years. I thought this was a great book because it shows how a wealthy family could survive in complete poverty during the worst of times. The book also showed how a once spoiled little girl, learned how to see life on the other side of the fence.
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Summary: It is an excellent learning tool for school children.
Review: This book demonstrated the different experiences and emotions a child felt when placed into a difficult situation. It envoked strong feelings in me as I read through every circumstance the main character faced. I believe that this book can be used as a supplementary learning tool on the subject of the Holocaust. It told the story from a different perspective than most textbooks do, which gave new insights on the Holocaust itself. Many of us may not know that some of the Jews were taken from thier homes and simply relocated to Siberia. The assumption is that all the Jews were gathered to be slaughtered--the end. In this book we are made aware of another possible scenario. I strongly recommend this book for young readers!
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