Walking Since Daybreak : A Story of Eastern Europe, World War II, and the Heart of Our Century

Ekstein draws on his own family's story to illustrate the history of Latvia and the surrounding Baltic nations before, during and after World War Two. He discusses the effect that being squeezed between Russia and Germany has had on the country, the impact of the Russian revolution and the two world wars, and his own family's decision to immigrate to Canada. An account of one family's displacement and the tragic history of twentieth-century Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia: “Deeply moving.” —Los Angeles TimesWinner of the Pearson Prize for NonfictionThe immense cataclysm of World War II devastated the Baltic republics of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, sending many of their inhabitants to the ends of the earth. Part history, part autobiography, Walking Since Daybreak tells the tragic story of the Baltic nations before, during, and after the war. Personal stories of the survival or destruction of Modris Eksteins's family members lend an intimate dimension to this vast narrative of those who have surged back and forth across the lowlands bordering the Baltic Sea. In the tradition of books that redefine our historical understanding, such as Huizinga's The Waning of the Middle Ages and Burckhardt's The Renaissance in Italy, Eksteins's narrative is a haunting portrait of national loss and the struggle of a displaced family caught in the maw of history.“An authoritative and moving mélange... of historical analysis, family legend, and memoir.” —The Boston Globe“Eksteins has astutely and thrillingly braided together the tortured history of modern Latvia, his own personal story of being born there in 1943... and the fate of his family as they (and countless millions) made their way to and through the refugee camps of postwar Europe.” —The Washington Post Book World“This unconventional account of the fate of the Baltic nations is also an important reassessment of WWII and its outcome... the pivotal character is Eksteins's maternal great-grandmother Grieta. The tale of this Latvian chambermaid, made pregnant and then rejected by her Baltic-German baron, serves as a mirror of Latvian-German relations over the centuries. In addition, the family history opens up the subject of displacement... and the struggle and hope of the immigrant experience.” —Kirkus Reviews "Part history, part autobiography, Walking Since Daybreak tells the tragic story of the Baltic nations before, during, and after World War II. Personal stories of the survival or destruction of Modris Eksteins's family members lend an intimate dimension to this vast narrative of those millions who have surged back and forth across the lowlands bordering the Baltic Sea. The immense cataclysm of World War II devastated the Baltic republics of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, sending many of their inhabitants to the ends of the earth. Walking Since Daybreak belongs in the great tradition of books that redefine our understanding of history, like J.R. Huizinga's The Waning of the Middle Ages and Jacob Burckhardt's The Renaissance in Italy. Eksteins' two-pronged narrative is a haunting portrait of national loss and the struggle of a displaced family caught in the maw of history. Book jacket."--Jacket Part history, part autobiography, WALKING SINCE DAYBREAK tells the tragic story of the Baltic nations before, during, and after World War II. Personal stories of the survival or destruction of Modris Eksteins's family members lend an intimate dimension to this vast narrative of those millions who have surged back and forth across the lowlands bordering the Baltic Sea. The immense cataclysm of World War II devastated the Baltic republics of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, sending many of their inhabitants to the ends of the earth. WALKING SINCE DAYBREAK belongs in the great tradition of books that redefine our understanding of history, like J. R. Huizinga's THE WANING OF THE MIDDLE AGES and Jacob Burckhardt's THE RENAISSANCE IN ITALY. Eksteins's two-pronged narrative is a haunting portrait of national loss and the struggle of a displaced family caught in the maw of history. Part History And Part Autobiography, Walking Since Daybreak Tells The Tragic Story Of The Baltic Nations Before, During, And After World War Ii. Personal Stories Of The Survival Or Destruction Of Modris Eksteins's Family Members Lend An Intimate Dimension To This Vast Narrative Of Those Millions Who Have Surged Back And Forth Across The Lowlands Bordering The Baltic Sea. As Eksteins's Two-pronged Narrative Approaches Its Huge Climax, The Reader Learns Yet Again That In Historical Catastrophes Blame And Praise Are Nearly Impossible To Assign.--jacket. Prologue -- The Girl With The Flaxen Hair -- A Man, A Cart, A Country -- Baltic Battles -- Displaced -- Bear Slayer Street -- Odyssey -- Concordance Of Place Names. Modris Eksteins. A Peter Davison Book. Includes Index. Map On Lining Papers. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 224-247) Index.