Crystal J Dohie

Seeds for Spring Crystal J Dohie

"Seeds for Spring" is based on the life of the author's grandmother, Justina Unger Toews and the author's mother, Lena Toews Enns. In the first section, we meet Justina Unger, born in 1888 to Mennonite colonists in South Russia. Through hard work coupled with the privilege accorded to them by Russian royalty, the Mennonites acquire a level of success and stability. All this is threatened when the Russian Revolution sweeps the countryside. Justina's community struggles to understand the shaking of the status quo as Lenin's socialism rips open the heartland of the Russian breadbasket. Heart-stopping violence invades the peace-loving colony. This creates not only an existential threat to the quiet religious community, but a challenge to the beliefs that form the bedrock of their very identity. This external political conflict is the backdrop for Justina's personal story. Deaths in her family coupled with disappointment and betrayal challenge her traditional expectations and force her to reevaluate her meaning and purpose. At the brink of Stalin's reign, Justina's family joins throngs of immigrants going to Canada. It is an epic journey of simply finding a place to live and raise her family in peace. The last part of the book shifts to the voice of Justina's daughter, Lena. Through the eyes of this young girl growing up poor on a prairie farm during the 1930's, we find love and beauty. The lessons learned and passed down from one generation to the next is an offering of faith, hope, grace and joy.