The question that arises is whether it is possible to house, clothe, and feed everyone properly without tearing down the social and economic structures of such people as the Rudomins, who earned their privileged life by talent and effort.Īlthough it raises important political. Esther Hautzig, whose memoir of growing up in exile in Siberia, The Endless Steppe, has become a classic of children’s literature, died Nov. Behind the engrossing story of Esther Rudomin and her family lies a sense of the tragedy and paradox of political conflicts: the Rudomins live a cultivated and gracious life in Vilna while all over Russia people live under the most difficult conditions. Its a remarkable story, more so for being a true story. Although the Rudomins' Judaism is not a major theme of the book, The Endless Steppe also provides glimpses of anti-Semitism and bitter class-consciousness. Esther didnt find herself in a Polish concentration camp run by Nazis, she found herself in Siberia surrounded by Russians. It also received the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award.

It was a National Book Award nominee and an ALA Notable Children’s Book. The Endless Steppe is an autobiographical account of her childhood in Siberia. When life in the shared hut becomes unbearable, Samuel gets permission for them to move to an empty hut in another part of the village. During the summer, the Rudomins focus on raising their potato crop. It spells out some of the consequences of the NaziSoviet Pact of 1939: the deportation of Polish citizens, the wartime separation of families, and the hardship of labor camps. Esther Hautzig was the author of many books for children and adults. Chapter 11 Summary Despite the muddiness of spring, Esther is happy in school and with her friends.

The Endless Steppe is, first of all, an excellent history lesson. Esther Hautzig - The Endless Steppe (1968) 1 Sourced Quote View all Esther Hautzig Quotes What I ate for breakfast on school mornings was one buttered roll-a soft roll, not a hard roll-and one cup of cocoa any attempt to alter this menu I regarded as a plot to poison me. Preview of The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia Summary:

The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig