Lina Vilkas is your average 15 year old girl. World War II is on the rise. She is passionate about art, has crushes on boys, and loves spending time with family and friends. Lina has a younger brother named Jonas and two loving parents, Elena and Kostas. She is perfectly content with her life until one knock on the door changes everything. The Soviets barge into Lina’s house arresting her along with her mother and younger brother, Jonas. They are crammed into a cattle car and separated from their father. Nobody knows what’s going on, why they’d been arrested, or where they would be taken. Little did they know, Lina and Jonas would never see their father again, and Elena would never see her husband. As they become accustomed to harsh, unhealthy life in the small cattle car, they find friends and enemies. Some people have no sense of hope, others are selfish and only care about their own survival. Lina and her family begin to befriend those who hold onto a sense of faith, and are willing to help others. A boy around Lina’s age, named Andrius, is introduced while they are on the cattle cars. He becomes a friend to Lina and a role model to Jonas. They spend time together and keep each other company. His mother, Mrs. Arvydas, becomes a great friends to Lina’s mother. They always share the latest news and gossip they hear about the war, and where their husbands may be. Throughout this time on the cattle cars, Lina draws stops along their route on a handkerchief, and passes it on to a man, telling him to keep passing it on. She hopes that one day, it will reach her father, and she will be reunited with him. Lina begins documenting events and drawings in a journal, regardless of how many times she’d been told never to write anything down, for the Soviets could become very angry. After seemingly endless weeks of travel on the train, it finally stops one day. As they exit the cattle car, the sky seems as blue as ever, and the fresh air more refreshing than ever. However, what they don’t know is that they’re about to be sold to harsh labor camps.
After being forced naked only for guards to look at like an object, and put into a cold shower, Lina and her family are left in the last group of people being sold. They are placed on a train and driven to a farming area-- a labor camp. During their time here, Lina and the others from her cattle car are forced to live with a grouchy woman who is always yelling, in a hut that lacks space. They must work everyday if they want their small ration of food. When Lina’s mom is offered the job of being a translator for the NKVD, she turns it down, as she feels it goes against her beliefs, and that the guards won’t actually repay her for her actions. However, one day, Lina finds that Andrius is getting good food and pleasant treatment, so she assumes that his mother gave in and secretly agreed to work for the Soviets so she and Andrius could receive improved treatment. At this, she is furious, causing her to yell at Andrius. She feels guilty when she soon learns that Mrs. Arvydas has become a prostitute for the guards with a reward of keeping Andrius alive. If she refused to fulfill the job, the NKVD would kill Andrius. Andrius becomes angry at Lina for assuming the worst of the situation, when really, his mom is doing it all for Andrius. Once Lina apologizes and they make up, Andrius begins to give extra food to Lina and her family to help them out. Due to horrible treatment, Jonas becomes ill with scurvy, but is saved by the tomatoes which Andrius brings him. Time continues to pass in the camp, and minutes begin feeling like hours. Lina and her family have no clue when they will get out. One day, the NKVD storm over to the prisoners and grab Elena, forcing her to translate a message to the rest. They make her tell everyone else that a contract is being held. People who sign it agree that they are prisoners and will serve 25 years of hard labor. This will give them access to a village nearby. At the news of this, everyone is freaking out. Do they sign it? One man announces that everyone should tell the NKVD that they are not yet ready to sign it, and they should hold off until they could be freed or learn more about it. Most people do agree to this plan. However, overtime, a couple of people give in to the torment that occurs every couple of days when the NKVD come back to tell them to sign. Lina and her family never do sign the contract. As they wait out the time, a rumor begins to spread of a list of people who will be taken to another location. Nobody knows where they will be taken, just that they will leave the camp. When Andrius discovers that him and his mother are not on the list, and Lina and her family are, he is devastated. Lina and Jonas had been his great friends, and he wants to stay in touch. When the train comes and picks up Lina and her family along with other prisoners, they sadly part with Andrius, his mother, and the rest of their friends. Lina leaves her drawings with Andrius to pass on, and the grouchy old woman with whom the Vilkas family was staying portrays her kinder side by giving them food.
For days, everyone traveling with Lina and her family questions where they might be taken. One man believes they’re being transported to America, and marvels at the thought. Others believe they’ll be taken to yet another labor camp. However, after a couple of weeks, one man begins to notice where they are. He realizes that they’d crossed the arctic circle. Once they finally arrive at the destination, they’re in Trofimovsk, right by the North Pole. The temperatures are already chilly, and will soon approach frigid. They find out that they will have to find a way to build their own huts to live in, regardless of how cold it gets. At this, some prisoners are just about ready to give up. As Lina and her family try to continue having a sense of hope, they begin to build a hut with others from their train. Although they are able to make a standing hut, it can’t possess nearly enough heat. It begins to get colder and colder, and wood runs out. The food rations are miniature at this point, and prisoners become extremely weak. Due to lack of food and easily spread disease, many become ill and malnourished; a combination almost guaranteed to end in death. One of these people that falls ill is Lina and Jonas’ mother. She finds news that her husband, Kostas is dead. After this, her body gives in to the cold and malnourishment, and she begins to sicken. As she loses more heat and continues to suffer a lack of food, she enters a severe state of sickness. Lina, Jonas, and all who’ve known Elena for her kind heart gather around as they share what they know will be their last moments with her. However hard it is, Lina and Jonas know they must stay strong and recover from the tragedy. As their states begin to improve, they run into yet another obstacle. Jonas notices scurvy spots reappearing, and begins to fall ill again. His conditions worsen greatly, and he loses the ability to speak. This time, he won’t have tomatoes from Andrius to save him, and the donations of food from others just won’t be enough. Just as Lina begins to become more and more worried, and believes he may not be saved, there’s a knock on the door or their hut. When they open up, a doctor by the name of Dr. Samodurov is there to save everyone from the cruelty of the Soviets and from the horrible diseases. Instantly, Jonas’ health improves due to his care. Help had come for the prisoners, and their time of struggle and cruel treatment was over.
After being forced naked only for guards to look at like an object, and put into a cold shower, Lina and her family are left in the last group of people being sold. They are placed on a train and driven to a farming area-- a labor camp. During their time here, Lina and the others from her cattle car are forced to live with a grouchy woman who is always yelling, in a hut that lacks space. They must work everyday if they want their small ration of food. When Lina’s mom is offered the job of being a translator for the NKVD, she turns it down, as she feels it goes against her beliefs, and that the guards won’t actually repay her for her actions. However, one day, Lina finds that Andrius is getting good food and pleasant treatment, so she assumes that his mother gave in and secretly agreed to work for the Soviets so she and Andrius could receive improved treatment. At this, she is furious, causing her to yell at Andrius. She feels guilty when she soon learns that Mrs. Arvydas has become a prostitute for the guards with a reward of keeping Andrius alive. If she refused to fulfill the job, the NKVD would kill Andrius. Andrius becomes angry at Lina for assuming the worst of the situation, when really, his mom is doing it all for Andrius. Once Lina apologizes and they make up, Andrius begins to give extra food to Lina and her family to help them out. Due to horrible treatment, Jonas becomes ill with scurvy, but is saved by the tomatoes which Andrius brings him. Time continues to pass in the camp, and minutes begin feeling like hours. Lina and her family have no clue when they will get out. One day, the NKVD storm over to the prisoners and grab Elena, forcing her to translate a message to the rest. They make her tell everyone else that a contract is being held. People who sign it agree that they are prisoners and will serve 25 years of hard labor. This will give them access to a village nearby. At the news of this, everyone is freaking out. Do they sign it? One man announces that everyone should tell the NKVD that they are not yet ready to sign it, and they should hold off until they could be freed or learn more about it. Most people do agree to this plan. However, overtime, a couple of people give in to the torment that occurs every couple of days when the NKVD come back to tell them to sign. Lina and her family never do sign the contract. As they wait out the time, a rumor begins to spread of a list of people who will be taken to another location. Nobody knows where they will be taken, just that they will leave the camp. When Andrius discovers that him and his mother are not on the list, and Lina and her family are, he is devastated. Lina and Jonas had been his great friends, and he wants to stay in touch. When the train comes and picks up Lina and her family along with other prisoners, they sadly part with Andrius, his mother, and the rest of their friends. Lina leaves her drawings with Andrius to pass on, and the grouchy old woman with whom the Vilkas family was staying portrays her kinder side by giving them food.
For days, everyone traveling with Lina and her family questions where they might be taken. One man believes they’re being transported to America, and marvels at the thought. Others believe they’ll be taken to yet another labor camp. However, after a couple of weeks, one man begins to notice where they are. He realizes that they’d crossed the arctic circle. Once they finally arrive at the destination, they’re in Trofimovsk, right by the North Pole. The temperatures are already chilly, and will soon approach frigid. They find out that they will have to find a way to build their own huts to live in, regardless of how cold it gets. At this, some prisoners are just about ready to give up. As Lina and her family try to continue having a sense of hope, they begin to build a hut with others from their train. Although they are able to make a standing hut, it can’t possess nearly enough heat. It begins to get colder and colder, and wood runs out. The food rations are miniature at this point, and prisoners become extremely weak. Due to lack of food and easily spread disease, many become ill and malnourished; a combination almost guaranteed to end in death. One of these people that falls ill is Lina and Jonas’ mother. She finds news that her husband, Kostas is dead. After this, her body gives in to the cold and malnourishment, and she begins to sicken. As she loses more heat and continues to suffer a lack of food, she enters a severe state of sickness. Lina, Jonas, and all who’ve known Elena for her kind heart gather around as they share what they know will be their last moments with her. However hard it is, Lina and Jonas know they must stay strong and recover from the tragedy. As their states begin to improve, they run into yet another obstacle. Jonas notices scurvy spots reappearing, and begins to fall ill again. His conditions worsen greatly, and he loses the ability to speak. This time, he won’t have tomatoes from Andrius to save him, and the donations of food from others just won’t be enough. Just as Lina begins to become more and more worried, and believes he may not be saved, there’s a knock on the door or their hut. When they open up, a doctor by the name of Dr. Samodurov is there to save everyone from the cruelty of the Soviets and from the horrible diseases. Instantly, Jonas’ health improves due to his care. Help had come for the prisoners, and their time of struggle and cruel treatment was over.
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A map of Lina and her family's journey throughout the novel.