To Forgive But Not Forget

On Sunday, August 6, 1944, Maja and her mother and the woefully few remnants of the Jewish population of the town of Daugavpils in Latvia, were brought together on the docks of Riga. They were to be loaded into a boat for transport to the Stutthof death camp in Germany. But, miraculously, Maja and her mother did not die. After nearly nine months of desperate struggle against the most inhuman odds, they were liberated by advancing Russian troops on what - for most - turned out to be a final horrific death march. The story unfolds amidst the idyllic home life of a comfortable family, in the heartland of Baltic Europe. The sweet innocence of the child growing up in the milieu of peace and middle-class values was, within the space of months, totally shattered by the horror of the German invasion. Soon to follow was the planned and expertly executed cruelty and mass of the Nazi regime. However, what shines through, is the hope, bravery and resilience of the human spirit. Where violence and death were the daily norm, hope, faith, and a sense of forgiveness ultimately triumphed. This book is a testament to the determination and spirit of two indomitable women: one the mother, the other, her child.