An Estonian Childhood Memoir - A Journey of Survival and Resilience

Once upon a time in a small village in Estonia, a young child named Anna embarked on a journey of survival and resilience that would shape her into the person she became. This is her story, a memoir that captures the beauty, hardships, and indomitable spirit of an Estonian childhood.

Anna was born in the early 1940s, during a tumultuous period in Estonia's history. The country was under Soviet occupation and the impact of World War II weighed heavily on its people. For Anna, growing up meant navigating through a world of uncertainty, fear, and deprivation.

As Anna recounts her memories, the reader is transported to a time when life was simpler but fraught with challenges. The memoir vividly describes the picturesque landscapes of Estonia, with its dense forests, tranquil rivers, and rolling hills that provided solace and escape for Anna and her family.

An Estonian Childhood: A Memoir

by Margaret Rozga(Kindle Edition)

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3586 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Print length	:	202 pages

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However, amidst the natural beauty, Anna's family struggled to make ends meet. The Soviet regime imposed strict agricultural policies, leaving farmers like Anna's parents in constant fear of losing their land and livelihoods. The memoir paints a picture of the resilience and determination of the Estonian people, who found ways to survive despite the hardships imposed on them.

Through Anna's eyes, we witness the strength of community that sustained her family during difficult times. Neighbors banded together to share resources, provide emotional support, and preserve their cultural traditions. The memoir celebrates the power of human connection and the resilience of the Estonian spirit.

As Anna grows older, she enters the world of education, experiencing the transformative power of knowledge. Despite limited resources and a state-controlled education system, Anna's thirst for learning remains unquenchable. Through her determination, she emerges as a beacon of hope and inspiration, defying the oppressive circumstances that surround her.

The memoir delves into the rich tapestry of Estonian culture, with its vibrant folklore, traditional music, and love for nature. Anna's narrative paints a vivid picture of the customs and traditions that helped her forge her identity and provide solace in times of adversity.

While the memoir delves into the struggles and hardships of an Estonian childhood, it also encompasses moments of joy, love, and triumph. Anna's resilience becomes a guiding light, reminding the reader of the power of the human spirit to overcome even the most challenging circumstances.

As the memoir comes to a close, Anna reflects on her journey and the impact it has had on her life. Her story serves as a testament to the strength and resilience not only of the Estonian people, but of all individuals who face adversity with courage and determination.

, "An Estonian Childhood Memoir - A Journey of Survival and Resilience" is a captivating tale that immerses the reader in the beauty, hardships, and triumphs of an Estonian childhood. Through Anna's story, we gain a deeper understanding of the indomitable spirit of the Estonian people, and the power of resilience in overcoming even the darkest of times. It is a memoir that will leave a lasting impression, inspiring readers to embrace their own journeys with strength, hope, and unwavering determination.

An Estonian Childhood: A Memoir

by Margaret Rozga(Kindle Edition)

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3586 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Print length	:	202 pages

FREE

In her Tania Alexander writes, 'The Baltic philosopher Count Hermann Keyserling . . . once remarked: ''I am not a Dane, not a German, not a Swede, not a Russian nor an Estonian, so what am I - a little of all these.'' Tania Alexander felt the same, 'I share his sense of confused identity.' She was born in St Petersburg, but as a young child was taken to Estonia, at that time a province of Russia which was later to become the northernmost of the three independent Baltic States created in the aftermath of the First World War. The tone of her memoir, mainly set in Kallijärv, is almost idyllic, surprisingly so given the political upheaval of the period. In her own words 'my early life was influenced by three women, all of them complex characters and strong personalities, who had to find their own way of adapting to very different from those they might have expected to enjoy. My Irish governess, Micky, sacrificed her family and suffered exile - a mother ostracised by the pressure of Victorian values. My Aunt Zoria lost everyone who was dear to her, as well as her homeland and her position in society. Anr my mother, who stayed behind in Russia throughout the terrifying events of the revolution and civil war, lost her home, her husband and, perhaps most important to her, her great love - a loss which profoundly affected the rest of her life.' Her mother was Baroness Moura Budberg and 'her great love' was the famous diplomat and spy, Robert Bruce Lockhart, expelled from Russia in 1918. Among her other lovers were Maxim Gorky and H. G. Wells who both feature in this memoir.

In his review, Harrison Salisbury refers to 'a world which now seems almost beyond our belief . . .' That is true, and yet there an unexpected link with today's UK political scene: Moura Budberg was Nick Clegg's great, great aunt. The lineage is like this: Moura Budberg's sister, Alexandra, was the mother of Clegg's grandmother, Baroness Kira von Engelhardt, who was born in Russia in 1909.

'Reminiscent of a story by Turgenev. Delightful.' Sunday Telegraph

'History, biography, an exploration of the relationship between mother and daughter: Tania Alexander's book is a little of all these.' Times Literary Supplement

'An engaging memoir full of vivid portraits. There is Gorky, a compassionate giant among the Bolsheviks; there is H. G. Wells, and there are the comforting figures who surrounded Tania at Kall?ärv, her Irish governess, Micky, Uncle Sahsa, inconsolable over the defeat of the Tsarist regime, and a host of cousins and friends.' Financial Times

'Tania Alexander has written an unforgettable memoir of a world which now seems almost beyond our belief - the pre-revolutionary Russian era and that followed, it a tale that inevitably centres around the the figure of her remarkable mother, the Baroness Moura Budberg - her life in Tsarist society, in the Bolshevik society of Lenin and Gorky, and later that of H. G. Wells and England. There is nothing else quite like it.' Harrison Salisbury