by Jerry Hoem

In January 1945, in the dead of a Polish winter, Malwina Kura and her little girl, Veronika, were forced to escape the Soviet Army's brutal advance. Their eventual destination was Würzburg, Germany, hardly a bastion of safety. Staying in Poland would have meant death or worse for them and for the remainder of their family. This true story was gleaned from the desperate mother's writings and her daughter's long-suppressed memories. Veronika Werner provided them, translating her mother's German-language diary and recalling those dark days long put aside. Veronika lived this story, made the trip in a farm wagon and besieged train, went hungry, endured the cold, and struggled to maintain life itself. She watched personally as German soldiers and civilians suffered along with the invading armies throughout that terrible war. It's a story that needs to be told and remembered.