Chapter 1

GERMANY INVADES THE SOVIET UNION

        PROSYPAISIA Buma! Vstavai (Wake up, Buma! Get up)!”
      From the depths of sleep, I heard Mama and felt her shaking me. Her words barely registered. I slowly opened my eyes. The electric light from the ceiling made me squint. I saw Mama bending over me, her light brown hair falling about her plump, fair face.
     “There’s an earthquake.” Fear shown in her eyes. “We must run outside, hurry!” She yanked me out of bed.
     I felt the house shake, heard the wooden floor creak. The sounds of glass and china breaking accompanied the violent movements of the earth.
     “Quick!” Mama screamed. “Get out before the house falls on us!”
     Papa, Mama, and I stumbled out of the house and onto our street, a main thoroughfare in Beltz, Bessarabia. I saw darting silhouettes of people against the lights emanating from each open door. Neighbors filled the street with noise and commotion.
     “Another tremor!” Mama lamented, wringing her hands.
Her large nightshirt billowed around her body.
     “Oy, Gevald! It’s shaking again!” cried others in Yiddish,[...]