Justa's Escape - by Justina Neufeld & Russell Binkley

Book Synopsis

In this real-life adventure, Justa, youngest of ten children in a Mennonite family in WWII era Ukraine, revisits a childhood in totalitarian Stalinist USSR. When authorities swoop down in the middle of the night to seize neighbor's fathers, Justa begins to dread the dark. Would her beloved papa be next? As both armies--German and Russian--approach, thirteen-year-old Justa and her family hurriedly pack their wagon to flee. What valuables should they take? What must they leave behind? How will the absent brothers find them? Will the family ever be whole again? What dangers do they face? In the end, who will survive?

About the Author

Justina Neufeld, youngest of ten siblings, was caught in the suffering and turmoil of the Stalinist purges and World War II. As a teenager, she fled her homeland. Separated from her mother, she lived as a refugee for four years in Europe. Rescued by Mennonite Central Committee worker Peter Dyck, she and one brother's family were brought to safety in Holland. In 1947, Justina immigrated to the United States. The war scattered her parents and siblings across three continents. Neufeld graduated with a college degree in nursing administration and a master's degree in gerontology. Now retired, she lives with her Maltipoo, Gigi, in North Newton, Kansas. She is also the author of A Family Torn Apart.