Exile from Latvia is
the story of a young boy’s experiences before, during and
after World War II, told in narrative format, to touch the heart.
Driven from his beloved home by the Soviet Army, Harijs’ family flees to
Germany in the hope of being captured by the advancing American forces.
The
family experiences hardships of all kinds – hunger, homelessness and air raids.
They brush with death many times in many ways and their life is often punctuated
with misunderstandings, both humorous and tragic. Presumed guilty they must prove
their innocence.
The
continuous migration causes Harijs to loose his friends constantly.
Surprisingly, these experiences shape Harijs’ life in a positive
way, especially in the Displaced Persons’ camp under dedicated teachers,
Scoutmasters and non-working adults.
There
are lighter moments as young Harijs discovers girls, often handling
the developing attraction in awkward though humorous ways, eventually
touching the heartstrings of a girl tenderly. Finally the anticipation
of an unexpected future replaces the memories of cruelty, atrocity,
hate, betrayal misunderstandings, ignorance and fear with commitment
to meet the future with confidence.
During
the war years Harijs made friends only to lose them. He will
not lose you. You will move with him through first-person escapades
of a pre-teen boy looking for answers in a senseless world.
