The Endless Steppe cover art

The Endless Steppe

Growing Up in Siberia

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The Endless Steppe

By: Esther Hautzig
Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan
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About this listen

 Poland, 1940. The Russian army invades the beautiful city streets of Vilna. Soldiers storm 10-year-old Esther Rudomin's house and arrest her entire family. The Rudomins, the soldiers say, are "capitalists - enemies of the people".

Forced from their home and friends, the Rudomins are herded onto crowded cattle cars. Their destination: the endless steppe of Siberia. For five years, Esther and her family live in exile, weeding potato fields and working in mines, fighting against all odds to stay alive. It is not an easy life. But through it all, Esther sustains the hope that one day she will return to Poland - and to freedom.

A National Book Award finalist, The Endless Steppe is the true story of Esther Rudomin Hautzig's girlhood in World War II Siberia. For over 25 years, this extraordinary book has touched the hearts of young people around the world with its vivid portrayal of life during World War II and its inspiring testament to the power of hope in the harshest conditions.

©1968 Esther Hautzig (P)1995 Recorded Books Biographies Growing Up Growing Up & Facts of Life Historical Discrimination Nonfiction Russia Heartfelt Solider
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I read this story as a child - maybe too young in retrospect - and it forged a sense of gratitude in me, a chubby girl growing up in a tropical climate that has never left me. To know children my own age endured such cold and hunger was horrific and unthinkable. I'm grateful for this book and reading it again now, 35 years later, I still remember nearly everything. My heart still aches for the victims of war, I wish everyone could read this book and remember that every political enemy has a family.

Incredible life-changing story

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Good representation of deprivation caused by war. Vivid descriptions of clothing, homes, food and lifestyle during those hard times

WW II in Poland and Siberia

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The pacing and story telling were wonderful, the majesty of the steppe, the anxiety of the time, all conveyed in a palatable way.

Charming recount of a terrible time

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Beautifully told skin to the book ,”I Am David”. I highly recommend this . We must never let this happen again

Honest tale of the holocaust from a child’s perspective

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.