Half a Slice of Bread: Caught in the Currents of War, A Family Journal

Half a Slice of Bread is the powerful true story of a Lithuanian family caught in the turbulent political and military events of World War II–era Europe from 1941 to 1950.

Desperate to escape the oppressive Soviet regime, the Neimanas family, including six-year-old Ieva, leave for Germany in 1941, where they hope to start a new life. Considered to be ethnic Germans by the Nazis, the family leaves with only what it can carry and boards a train toward an unknown fate.

But to their horror, upon their arrival they are taken to a foreigner camp, where they are to be “Germanized.” They are placed in wooden barracks, witness terrible abuses, and live under constant intimidation.

In 1944, they receive permission to return to Lithuania, but their elation quickly turns to dismay when approaching Soviet artillery forces them to flee back the way they came. Little do they know that their struggle to find a safe haven is only just beginning.

In the vein of A Lucky Child, by Thomas Buergenthal, and Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys, this poignant memoir recounts a moving tale of love, hope, and the warmth of family.