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Coming Out of the Ice: An Unexpected Life by Victor Herman
This astonishing true story is the tale of a young American man who was sent to the Soviet Union with his parents by the Ford Motor Company to set up an auto plant. He was eventually thrown into Soviet prisons and could not return to America until forty-five years later. During his life in and out of Russian prisons, he met and fell in love with a beautiful Russian gymnast who followed him into exile and lived with him and their child for a year in Siberia, in a caved chopped out under the ice. Theirs is the compelling story of a romance destined to thrive under even the most desperate conditions. It was 1938 when Victor Herman was inexplicably thrown into prison, after he had become a celebrity in the Soviet Union, having won acclaim as "the Lindbergh of Russia" for his flying and world-record-breaking parachute jumps. But what happened to him was a common nightmare during the Stalin those who survived imprisonment and torture were sent north to hard labor in the icy forests an
369 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
February 20, 2008
Words can't do this book justice. If you are ever feeling sorry for yourself or feel like you've just been dealt a raw deal, read this book. I have a newfound gratitude for the life that I have been given and for the country that I live in. The author was held prisoner, starved, tortured, and was able to come out of the situation with remarkable aplomb. This book makes me so grateful for everything in my life.
September 11, 2010
I have given very few books 5 stars. With this book there was no question! This autobiography of a teenager who goes with his family from Detroit to Russia in the 1930's "for three years" to establish an automobile plant is one of the most amazing and poignant stories I have ever read (or heard). The three years becomes 46, including 10 as a hard labor prisoner in a Siberian gulag. The book is a living witness to the failures and depredations of the Soviet communist experiment. It is a must read. I finished listening to it (it is out of print but available in audio—used print copies are expensive) this morning while up on a ladder scraping paint on my house, the tears streaming down my cheeks. [Spoiler alert: Happy Ending] WOW, what a book!
May 19, 2008
After reading this book, I find it hard to understand why it is not in greater circulation or why it isn't more well-known. Elie Wiesel, Corrie ten Boom, and Victor Frankl are more or less household names (and rightly so), but I am baffled why more people have not read Victor Herman.
Herman's account of his life spent working in Siberian prison camps is intense. As an American unfairly charged with treason, Herman ends up spending thirty-eight years alternating between hard labor, exile, and senseless interrogation and torture. The amazing thing, however, is that he still manages to not only survive all that, but in the midst of it, fall in love, have a family, and maintain a normal outlook on life. I do have some doubts as to the complete accuracy of his account, (he wasn't able to return to the United States until 1976, and didn't write his book until some years after that), but it's unmistakable that he truly did lead an "unexpected life" (to say the least) and the fact that he was able to survive it is unbelievable. Rather than being depressing, it is inspiring and makes me believe that I am capable of anything, absolutely anything, that life throws at me.
Herman's account of his life spent working in Siberian prison camps is intense. As an American unfairly charged with treason, Herman ends up spending thirty-eight years alternating between hard labor, exile, and senseless interrogation and torture. The amazing thing, however, is that he still manages to not only survive all that, but in the midst of it, fall in love, have a family, and maintain a normal outlook on life. I do have some doubts as to the complete accuracy of his account, (he wasn't able to return to the United States until 1976, and didn't write his book until some years after that), but it's unmistakable that he truly did lead an "unexpected life" (to say the least) and the fact that he was able to survive it is unbelievable. Rather than being depressing, it is inspiring and makes me believe that I am capable of anything, absolutely anything, that life throws at me.
February 10, 2010
One of the most riveting books I have ever read. The true story of American Victor Herman who survived 18 years in Soviet prisons and another 20 in exile in the USSR before being able to return to America.
(from 1931-1976) His endurance through the years of unimaginable hardships was beyond belief and was only softened by the love he found in wife Galina and two daughters halfway through his experience. We have so much to be greatful for in our country....
It is hard to understand why this book ever went out of print. It is a masterpiece and very well written. Used copies are expensive, but after borrowing one, I decided it was well worth owning my own copy.
(from 1931-1976) His endurance through the years of unimaginable hardships was beyond belief and was only softened by the love he found in wife Galina and two daughters halfway through his experience. We have so much to be greatful for in our country....
It is hard to understand why this book ever went out of print. It is a masterpiece and very well written. Used copies are expensive, but after borrowing one, I decided it was well worth owning my own copy.
August 31, 2016
I read this book several years ago on the recommendation of Gordon Lish. The acknowledgment page credits the person responsible for this book as one who wishes not to be cited, but Herman does provide the initials of his son A.A.L who is none other than Atticus Lish. Anyone who reads this book can plainly see that Gordon Lish wrote it. His voice is all over it. I find it ironic how many readers love this book and so many claim not to like the writing of Gordon Lish. Hilarious.
March 20, 2014
I read this book the first time as a senior in high school in 1990/1991. After graduation, I searched everywhere for a copy and finally found a signed hardcover. It is my most cherished book and I can't recommend it enough. Victor Herman's story is heart-wrenching yet inspiring and it's written in such a way that you really feel as if the author is sitting across from while telling his story.
March 16, 2012
I give this book five stars, and would recommend that you read it. However, I also recommend that you chose perhaps a weekend or a holiday, for two reasons. One, you will need to put it down from time to time. When I reached the chapter describing CELL 39. I made it half way through the chapter then put the book down, and walked around the block many times, I think five, and breathed in the unsullied air, and heard birdsong, and children, and saw trees, grass, people who seemed happy as far as looking at them can determine such a thing, and thought, I am here, not THERE. Thanked God, if there is one, for letting me be here and not there. I walked slowly home, and told myself, when this is done I will do all I can for Amnesty International, oh yes. Then, I went back inside and finished the chapter. I did the same thing again, many times. I know for sure when the ISOLATOR was described, when men with a bit of food on their mouth and what happens next was described, and also when Victor Herman reminded me, again, how much he loved his father: "a laborer, a Socialist, a unionist" who uprooted the family from 1931 Detroitin the depths of the Depression to create a worker's paradise in the Soviet Union. He reminds me, again and again, that he loved the man who essentially delivered him into hell, and not only that, but would follow him into hell again. Then he thanks his father. I had to put the book down and digest that, because we have issues, my father and I, and I had to think things over. So, I am saying, give yourself time to read this book, it's not something you can do in a hurry. Also, ignore the people who say this is about Communism/Socialism; it is not. It is about what happens when one man has great power, and is not accountable for what he does with it. In this case it was a man who called himself Stalin (Man of Steel) but it could happen in any setting, and has. Evil has been done in the name of religions, all of them, for love of money, for National Socialism, for white supremacy, male supremacy, human supremacy (visit a PETA or Farm Sanctuary website if that confuses you), and well, just for the hell of it sometimes, for no reason at all except it made someone feel great to do it. The thing to think about is, who has power and is not held accountable and what do we do about that. What do you do the next time you see someone hurt someone (or something) else because they can. What will I do. My neighbors howl at their kids that they are useless and the kids take it out on each other. We hear them. Through the windows left open now that the weather is warm. I will think hard about what I can do about that. Maybe nothing, but I'm thinking about it now. Thank you, Victor Herman, for this book, because I'm thinking about it now and won't let it go this time.
February 23, 2008
Probably my favorite book of all time! So touching, so inspiring, also informative, and engaging.
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February 23, 2024I have only finished 50% of this book. It is a good book but absolutely heartbreaking on what Victor Herman had to endure. It made me too sad to listen to. Maybe I will finish the last half later.
December 1, 2019
Definitely a must read.
What this man went through but never denied his country.
What this man went through but never denied his country.
March 23, 2011
My dad suggested this book. Here is his review (he says it more eloquently than I would)
"I have given very few books 5 stars. With this book there was no question! This autobiography of a teenager who goes with his family from Detroit to Russia in the 1930's "for three years" to establish an automobile plant is one of the most amazing and poignant stories I have ever read (or heard). The three years becomes 46, including 10 as a hard labor prisoner in a Siberian gulag. The book is a living witness to the failures and depredations of the Soviet communist experiment. It is a must read. I finished listening to it (it is out of print but available in audio—used print copies are expensive) this morning while up on a ladder scraping paint on my house, the tears streaming down my cheeks. [Spoiler alert: Happy Ending] WOW, what a book!"
I agree on every aspect on the above comments...except I wasn't scraping paint off the house. Alan and I listened on a couple of car trips. There is a lot of language in this book and it get's stronger as he travels further north into Siberia. But, I loved this book! The way he told his story was just amazing. I can't fathom the things he had to endure, but endure he did.
I was really disappointed in the way the Hunger Games trilogy ended because Katniss was seemed so broken at the end. Everyone said, look at what she's been through, of course she's broken. This is a TRUE story about a boy/man who had been to hell and back and in the end wasn't broken. LOVED it!
"I have given very few books 5 stars. With this book there was no question! This autobiography of a teenager who goes with his family from Detroit to Russia in the 1930's "for three years" to establish an automobile plant is one of the most amazing and poignant stories I have ever read (or heard). The three years becomes 46, including 10 as a hard labor prisoner in a Siberian gulag. The book is a living witness to the failures and depredations of the Soviet communist experiment. It is a must read. I finished listening to it (it is out of print but available in audio—used print copies are expensive) this morning while up on a ladder scraping paint on my house, the tears streaming down my cheeks. [Spoiler alert: Happy Ending] WOW, what a book!"
I agree on every aspect on the above comments...except I wasn't scraping paint off the house. Alan and I listened on a couple of car trips. There is a lot of language in this book and it get's stronger as he travels further north into Siberia. But, I loved this book! The way he told his story was just amazing. I can't fathom the things he had to endure, but endure he did.
I was really disappointed in the way the Hunger Games trilogy ended because Katniss was seemed so broken at the end. Everyone said, look at what she's been through, of course she's broken. This is a TRUE story about a boy/man who had been to hell and back and in the end wasn't broken. LOVED it!
November 17, 2015
Herman's suffering defies description. I read this book shortly after finishing The Gulag Archipelago, they work as wonderful companion pieces as each helped me better understand the other. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a fascinating biography, or a book to give greater insight into their study of Soviet history.
Stranger than fiction, more horrifying than anything dreamt by Lovecraft or Poe, Victor Herman's life was truly incredible. This book succeeds wonderfully as both a personal biography, a testament to the human spirit, a condemnation of the Soviet system and ideology, an ode to America, and as a son's personal letter of unconditional love to a father who failed him.
Herman concentrates on the early years of his imprisonment in the Soviet gulag. It is a horrific story, they didn't just work him and not care if he died, they singled him out because of his celebrity status (at the time) with the intention of working him to death, but inexplicably he kept coming out of every trial intact. He remained in tact not just physically, and that's the crux of the book, he never lost what made him who he was. It's fascinating how his experiences gave him a great deal of self awareness; atrributing his rugged, somewhat cocky nature for his fame and success upon reaching Russia, his imprisonment, and for being what allowed him to survive where so many did not.
Stranger than fiction, more horrifying than anything dreamt by Lovecraft or Poe, Victor Herman's life was truly incredible. This book succeeds wonderfully as both a personal biography, a testament to the human spirit, a condemnation of the Soviet system and ideology, an ode to America, and as a son's personal letter of unconditional love to a father who failed him.
Herman concentrates on the early years of his imprisonment in the Soviet gulag. It is a horrific story, they didn't just work him and not care if he died, they singled him out because of his celebrity status (at the time) with the intention of working him to death, but inexplicably he kept coming out of every trial intact. He remained in tact not just physically, and that's the crux of the book, he never lost what made him who he was. It's fascinating how his experiences gave him a great deal of self awareness; atrributing his rugged, somewhat cocky nature for his fame and success upon reaching Russia, his imprisonment, and for being what allowed him to survive where so many did not.
December 13, 2012
Somehow I forgot to put this book on my read list. Maybe because it has been many years since I read it. I was reminded of it because it is no longer at the library, is out of print, and I was trying to find a used copy at a reasonable price. This book made an indelible impression on me. Innocent, young and cocky American caught in the machinations of Communist Russia. This is a story of survival and healing against impossible odds. A morality tale for all us Westerners who presume we are safe and untouchable, that our democracy and sense of justice will prevail anywhere, and if not, we will be rescued by the powers that be. Victor Herman is just one of countless Westerners who have proven this presumption as just that, a cocky Western presumption.
October 28, 2010
An amazing autobiography! An American teenager, who accompanied his parents to live and work in the Soviet Union on a three-year contract in the 1930s, spends more than 45 years there--most of it in the Soviet Gulag. Denied his American citizenship rights, young Victor Herman experiences an existence that shocks the imagination. (In painstaking detail he takes us through 55 days of physical and psychological torture during his "interrogation.") Minnesota and other American northland readers will empathize more with Herman's Siberian experiences. The writing is quite good--more like a prose poem than straight prose.
April 30, 2013
This is a powerful book. The narrative of the author's early years in Detroit followed by late adolescence and early adulthood adapting to life in the Soviet Union prior to the rise of Stalin is quite interesting. He is imprisoned in a soviet gulag for ten years and then exiled to Siberia. During this period, you see the very finest and the very worst humanity has to offer. Victor Herman finds the way to survive and adapt and even to strive in conditions that would normally drive a man mad or to an early grave. It's a book that makes you reflect on how fortunate one is to have a roof over your head and food on the table. Highly recommended.
May 31, 2014
This is an amazing story, in itself worthy of 5 stars. Victor Herman wrote the book soon after he was finally able to return to the US after being imprisoned and when released, forced to live in exile in Russia.
In my assessment, the writing style is worthy of fewer stars. Aside from the horrible events, it was sometimes frustrating to read the book as content repeated itself in the same paragraph. At first I felt that the editors should have cleaned some of this up but as I got further into the book I felt empathy for Victor Herman as he had the courage to write this book without a formal education after age 14.
For all of this, I'll give it 4 stars
In my assessment, the writing style is worthy of fewer stars. Aside from the horrible events, it was sometimes frustrating to read the book as content repeated itself in the same paragraph. At first I felt that the editors should have cleaned some of this up but as I got further into the book I felt empathy for Victor Herman as he had the courage to write this book without a formal education after age 14.
For all of this, I'll give it 4 stars
January 17, 2009
An incredible book. Victor Herman's father was a socialist idealist who was transferred from Detroit to Russia by the Ford Motor Company in 1931. Victor was 16 years old. In spite of, or because of, his athletic prowess and his acclaim as a record-breaking sky diver in Russia, he is imprisoned in 1938, where he is subjected to incredible torture and abuse for 18 years. This book should be required reading for all high school students and for anyone who thinks that socialism and/or communism are the answer to all of our problems.
July 16, 2013
When I first read this book in the late seventies, I was so inspired by this man and his story that I wrote him a letter. He wrote back and sent me an autographed copy of his book which I still have. When justice is not done in the U.S it makes headlines. But this man underwent horrible imprisonments, not just once, but many times in a country where rights don't exist. He was an American living in Russia because of his father's job and when he set a skydiving record,he refused to say he was Russian. You need a strong stomach and mind to read this book, but it is so worthwhile.
October 11, 2014
Oh man, what a lift this guy has gone through!
for any body complaining about life
being difficult, I would recommend to
read this book.
I heard about this book from Jim Rohn,
and was encouraged to read it,
It took me 3 days to finish it, once I picked
it, I did not put it down until finished.
This guy was destined to live, his life spared
many many times, I think God wanted him
to live to tell his story and inspire all of humanity.
He died at 70, but the thing he did in his life will take
2 lifetimes for ordinary people to accomplish
for any body complaining about life
being difficult, I would recommend to
read this book.
I heard about this book from Jim Rohn,
and was encouraged to read it,
It took me 3 days to finish it, once I picked
it, I did not put it down until finished.
This guy was destined to live, his life spared
many many times, I think God wanted him
to live to tell his story and inspire all of humanity.
He died at 70, but the thing he did in his life will take
2 lifetimes for ordinary people to accomplish
November 30, 2015
This may be a book for folks over 50 or 60. If you did not grow up during the cold war you may refuse to believe his story. Do not expect great writing, because it is not. Victor Herman is not an author, but is a man who lead a truly "unexpected life", as the title would suggest. I have no idea how Mr Herman survived his ordeal. He was a remarkable person. The story is incredible. You will never forget how this man left the United States as a teen, became a hero of the Soviet Union and ended up in a gulag.
February 6, 2014
Great book. This book has the power to change life's!
March 25, 2014
This is FOR REAL a five star book. Yes, it is difficult to read because of the countless atrocities. But this book is so beautifully written. The way Herman expresses himself is so fluid. AMAZING.
August 30, 2017
An extraordinary read!
October 22, 2013
Victor Herman has to be the toughest man ever. He survives over a decade in the Russian Gulag system, finds a family, and manages to get back to the US, and then writes about it.
Herman's family, as good socialists, move to Russia as part of a deal between the Ford Company to start automobile production, to help to promote this new workers' paradise. Upon arrival the family slowly realizes this was a mistake, however they slowly get sucked in to the madness of Stalin's paranoid rule over taking Russia. At first Victor doesn't notice; he is a natural athlete and that earns him early recognition and favorite status in the Russian system. However, Victor is naive about what is going on even though others try to warn him, like his father, who become more solemn after his wife, Victor's mom, dies after slipping into depression after two years in Russia.
Over time Victor joins a flying school and starts parachute jumping. The trouble start when he sets a new world record for free falling from airplane in Russia, but on the official records he records that he is still an American citizen. Even though Russian official try to suggest that the recording of citizenship was no big deal and that Victor would do them a favor by saying he is a Russian citizen, Victor refuses, beginning the slow spiral into the hell of the Gulag system. What helps him survive is his amazing physical condition and extremely quick street smarts. He is shifted from prison to prison, and he over comes each obstacle, making friends and building his knowledge of how to survive. Though beaten, starved, and worked near to death he survives. At one time he is reduce to eating rats, often raw to survive.
The story is an intense tale of survival, and near sense of defeat, but the overcoming by shear will. Victor does meet his wife in Siberia, and has two daughters with her. Later he is able to come back to the US and then bring over his family. It was an amazing read. One that would make a great movie, but almost be unbelievable in its telling.
Herman's family, as good socialists, move to Russia as part of a deal between the Ford Company to start automobile production, to help to promote this new workers' paradise. Upon arrival the family slowly realizes this was a mistake, however they slowly get sucked in to the madness of Stalin's paranoid rule over taking Russia. At first Victor doesn't notice; he is a natural athlete and that earns him early recognition and favorite status in the Russian system. However, Victor is naive about what is going on even though others try to warn him, like his father, who become more solemn after his wife, Victor's mom, dies after slipping into depression after two years in Russia.
Over time Victor joins a flying school and starts parachute jumping. The trouble start when he sets a new world record for free falling from airplane in Russia, but on the official records he records that he is still an American citizen. Even though Russian official try to suggest that the recording of citizenship was no big deal and that Victor would do them a favor by saying he is a Russian citizen, Victor refuses, beginning the slow spiral into the hell of the Gulag system. What helps him survive is his amazing physical condition and extremely quick street smarts. He is shifted from prison to prison, and he over comes each obstacle, making friends and building his knowledge of how to survive. Though beaten, starved, and worked near to death he survives. At one time he is reduce to eating rats, often raw to survive.
The story is an intense tale of survival, and near sense of defeat, but the overcoming by shear will. Victor does meet his wife in Siberia, and has two daughters with her. Later he is able to come back to the US and then bring over his family. It was an amazing read. One that would make a great movie, but almost be unbelievable in its telling.
October 9, 2019
The first thing I noticed about this book was the way it was written. It's very poetic and reminded me of a number of songs from The Music Man, the repetition and rhythm of the writing style. Christopher Hurt did a perfect job narrating it.
When I first heard of this book, I thought it would be a prisoner of war story. I expected it to be like "Unbroken" but it made a huge difference that it wasn't. Victor was such a loner. Occasionally we hear of something he did to help someone else or of someone helping him, but for the most part he was completely looking out for "number one" which was the only way he could have survived. He made one friend his entire 18 years of imprisonment. Compare this to a POW story: there is a sense of community and honor among war prisoners I think. Soldiers have training and know the risks (of dying or becoming a POW) in war (whether they chose to join or not). For Victor, this was completely out of the blue! Most of us "normal people" would have died from the shock of being hurled into such a nightmare! His athleticism and strength of youth helped him navigate his years of imprisonment but I'm still amazed at how he managed to say or do the right thing at times. (Knowing when to push back and when to just do as they say). I appreciate his understanding that much of life is what you're given. Maybe you can make choices to affect these things, but there is so much we don't have control over in our lives. Victor was thrust into a situation that took away his 23-41 years of life (and some) but didn't waste time regretting or wishing things had been different.
This was an amazing story and I appreciated the honesty without vulgarity. It is definitely a worthwhile read!
When I first heard of this book, I thought it would be a prisoner of war story. I expected it to be like "Unbroken" but it made a huge difference that it wasn't. Victor was such a loner. Occasionally we hear of something he did to help someone else or of someone helping him, but for the most part he was completely looking out for "number one" which was the only way he could have survived. He made one friend his entire 18 years of imprisonment. Compare this to a POW story: there is a sense of community and honor among war prisoners I think. Soldiers have training and know the risks (of dying or becoming a POW) in war (whether they chose to join or not). For Victor, this was completely out of the blue! Most of us "normal people" would have died from the shock of being hurled into such a nightmare! His athleticism and strength of youth helped him navigate his years of imprisonment but I'm still amazed at how he managed to say or do the right thing at times. (Knowing when to push back and when to just do as they say). I appreciate his understanding that much of life is what you're given. Maybe you can make choices to affect these things, but there is so much we don't have control over in our lives. Victor was thrust into a situation that took away his 23-41 years of life (and some) but didn't waste time regretting or wishing things had been different.
This was an amazing story and I appreciated the honesty without vulgarity. It is definitely a worthwhile read!
January 19, 2010
This is a true story of Victor Herman and how his father moved the family to the Soviet Union because of his belief in the communist ideology. At the age of 22 Victor is arrested as a spy and is imprisoned in Russia, largely in Siberia. What Victor endured and how he endured it all is truly amazing. It gave me a new perspective on how communism is truly Satan's way of implementing his own plan here on earth. It made me more aware of just how good we have it in America and how much we should value our freedom and way of life. A book worth reading - I highly recommend it to all adults.
Because I am always looking for good books to read with my boys, please note that this book is not one to be read to children. Also depending on the copy you get there are some very strong expletives in the later chapters. Apparently this book was reprinted (the blue paperback)and the expletives were removed, replacing them with asterisks. I downloaded the book from audible & the expletives are left in that copy. Just a heads up in case you prefer to read it edited.
Because I am always looking for good books to read with my boys, please note that this book is not one to be read to children. Also depending on the copy you get there are some very strong expletives in the later chapters. Apparently this book was reprinted (the blue paperback)and the expletives were removed, replacing them with asterisks. I downloaded the book from audible & the expletives are left in that copy. Just a heads up in case you prefer to read it edited.
June 1, 2011
This was an amazing true story about an American man who went to the Soviet Union with his family in the 1930s. He was amazing at everything he tried there. Boxing, running, shooting, flying airplanes, parachuting, and so on. Victor Herman was arrested later for being too American. He spent years in prison and in torture not knowing what he did, and without trial. Years later he was sent to Siberia in labor camps to cut down trees. It was intense work that ensured that the workers die eventually. Through determination he was able to survive. When freed after ten years of the camps, he was exiled to Siberia. He married and had two kids. He desperately wanted to return to America and after seven years of paperwork, he finally made it. The whole experience in the Soviet Union lasted 45 years. He led a terrible life and survived it all. He is a great example of forgiveness and determination. It makes me very glad of what I have here in America. This is a very good book.
March 8, 2010
Wow, I don't know what to say about this book. It was wonderful and also depressing and hard to read but you just can't stop. You have to read it to understand.
It's a true story of Victor Herman who was imprisoned in the USSR for 45 years. His story is amazing and it gives you an appreciation for all you've been blessed with. Those in America who have it the absolute worst still having nothing on Victor Herman.
One of those books you have to read but then you need something light and easy after. By the end I was racing through because I couldn't stand the heartache any longer but it's war and it's communism and it shows you just what human beings are capable of for the good and the bad. It's a must read, but be ready for it.
It's a true story of Victor Herman who was imprisoned in the USSR for 45 years. His story is amazing and it gives you an appreciation for all you've been blessed with. Those in America who have it the absolute worst still having nothing on Victor Herman.
One of those books you have to read but then you need something light and easy after. By the end I was racing through because I couldn't stand the heartache any longer but it's war and it's communism and it shows you just what human beings are capable of for the good and the bad. It's a must read, but be ready for it.
August 6, 2015
An extraordinary personal journey through the worst times in Soviet. The book is very disturbing and very moving, it documented firsthand the horror and atrocity under the Stalin's iron fist, and the courage and endurance that not only kept Herman alive but also found him true love through the darkest times.
Though Victor lived through and beyond hell, his father's life is even more tragic. Nothing broke a man when his life long pursuit of the dream and ideal turns into the worst kind of nightmare, and along the way he has sacrificed his own life and those of his loved ones.
This is simply the best autobiography I've ever come across.
Though Victor lived through and beyond hell, his father's life is even more tragic. Nothing broke a man when his life long pursuit of the dream and ideal turns into the worst kind of nightmare, and along the way he has sacrificed his own life and those of his loved ones.
This is simply the best autobiography I've ever come across.
December 29, 2008
I read this book prior to the time that the Berlin Wall came down and the USSR was still in place. I lived through the Cold War and found this story absolutely riveting. A great read. I learned from this book that each person has the power inside themselves to accomplish great things regardless of the circumstances in which they find themselves. Maybe it resonated so much with me because at the time I was facing many personal challenges and was hoping to make a better life for myself and my children (which in retrospect, I did).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews