Lilita Z Hardes

A Memoir of Home, War, and Finding Refuge - Biruta's Story Lilita Z Hardes

A compelling memoir of a Latvian war refugee's flight and displacement during WWII.




What if the comforts and security of your childhood were suddenly ripped away from you? In 1939, Biruta, a nine-year-old twin, lives an idyllic life with her sister and two physician parents in Riga, Latvia when WWII breaks out.




One of three independent Baltic states, Latvia attempts to remain neutral during the war. Yet, the country is situated between two ruthless rivals: Stalin's Communist Soviet Union and Hitler's Nazi Germany.




As the Soviet army occupies Latvia, the family flees to Germany during the last year of the war. In the Displaced Persons (DP) camps of Germany, Biruta comes of age, falls in love, and ultimately finds somewhere to call home.