Caught between the Nazis and the Communists, Marie had to take a desperate risk in order to save herself and her children. Would it be enough?
During World War II, Estonia was caught between the Nazis and the Communists. Thousands of Estonians fled. Marie, a young widow and mother, desperately needed a way out. Because of her husband's execution, she was an enemy of the state. With only hours left before the Soviets took Estonia, Marie threw herself upon the mercy of the fleeing Nazi Army. Could they be trusted? This is her true story.
Excerpt
Stealthily they crept like shadows through the gathering darkness, dodging Nazi soldiers and slipping between trucks bearing the swastika symbol. The rumble of military jeeps filled the air, nearly drowning out the urgent commands barked left and right. The six figures paused in the midst of the commotion to peer through the smoky haze in an anxious search for an available vehicle. They had to find one!
“Over there!” Marie pointed and the frightened group pressed onward towards the back of a truck carrying ammunition. The young driver gave a grim nod and a quick jerk with his thumb towards the bed, then bent back towards his work of duct taping the headlights, allowing only a sliver of light to shine through. Fourteen-year-old Henry clambered over the bed’s rails, then leaned down to help Paula, the young lady escaping with them. Twelve-year-old Ester, feeling sick, was escorted to the cab of the truck where she shyly settled herself between the two Nazi soldiers there. “Hurry!” Marie directed as she and her sister, Adele, climbed aboard. Last up was Adele’s husband, Ralph.
Marie settled herself onto the cold steel and pulled her coat a little tighter. She would not let herself think of the memories they were leaving behind. She watched as her son, Henry, observed the activity unfolding around them. He was the mirror image of her husband. Athletic and strong, he was becoming a man now and needed a future he could look forward to. Marie’s thoughts shifted to Ester, her daughter. Quiet and pretty, she loved to read and learn. Marie adjusted the small suitcase containing all she could take with her as the truck jerked to a start. Reviewing the dark events of the last few years, Marie reminded herself once again that she was making the right decision.
The Nazi caravan lumbered into motion as vehicle after vehicle fell into line in the direction of Estonia’s southern border. The Nazi occupation of Estonia was over at last, but there would be no victory celebrations on this night. At that moment a new occupier had crossed Estonia’s eastern border and was entering her capitol city. Russia, with its Communist fury and vision of a massive Soviet Union, was quickly claiming ownership of Estonia’s blood-soaked soil.
Suddenly the caravan came to an abrupt stop. Doors flew open as officers and soldiers fled into the forests. The dull roar of an airplane could be heard overhead. Was it Soviet aircraft? Marie and her family scrambled off the truck and raced beneath the protective cover of Estonia’s vast forests. It would not be the only time on this journey that Marie would whisper desperate prayers for the safety of her family.
The unidentified plane disappeared into the night sky without incident and the caravan resumed its homeward voyage down through Latvia and into Lithuania. These Baltic countries would soon fall, as Estonia had, into the iron clutches of Soviet control. Reeling from the carnage of Hitler’s rampage, Western Europe was catching its first breath of freedom. Eastern Europe, however, could only feel the cold breath of Soviet oppression breathing down their necks. It would be many years before the fires of freedom would thaw Russia’s icy grip on Estonia and her Baltic neighbors.
Perched atop machinery on the back of a Nazi truck carrying her far away from her beloved homeland, Marie could not think of Estonia’s future. She could only focus on providing the opportunity for freedom for herself and her children. The farther she distanced her family from the evil clutches of Communism, the safer she would feel.
Professional Reviews
Well Researched
"I really enjoyed it. It was quite well written ... and I was impressed with all the research that was evident. ... It borders on the unbelievable all that some people went through." Mike from California, USA
Can't Put It Down
"I cannot put it down. You are such an awesome, enthralling writer." Yonka from British Colombia, Canada
Story that Needs to be Told
"I read it cover to cover. It is a story that needed to be told." Betty from Sydney, Australia
Destiny's Daughter by Frances Altman highlights events in the life of Mary Edwards Walker, maverick suffragist, Civil War doctor and only woman Medal of Honor recipient.
This book has been eight years in the making. It is mostly a jumble of thoughts written down in old spiral notebooks and hidden in the bottom drawer underneath various manuals for software packages and hardware long since turned obsolete.
Destiny's Daughter by Frances Altman highlights events in the life of Mary Edwards Walker, maverick suffragist, Civil War doctor and only woman Medal of Honor recipient.
