Summary: Danger is never far from Audra's family farm in Lithuania. She spends her life avoiding the occupying Russian Cossack soldiers, who insist that everyone must become Russian -- they have banned Lithuanian books, religion, culture, even the language. Audra knows her parents are involved in something secret and perilous. And when Cossack soldiers turn up at their door, Audra is forced to flee, taking with her an important package and instructions for where to deliver it. Escape means abandoning her parents to a terrible fate, but Audra has no choice. Facing unimaginable risks, she embarks on a journey to deliver this mysterious package, and before she knows it, she finds herself quickly caught up in a growing resistance movement.
Violence/Disturbing Images: Moderate. Character is whipped; characters are killed in an uprising; character twists her ankle and sustains a minor burn; mention of prisoners dying at the labor camps in Siberia
Sensuality/Nudity: Mention of an old Lithuanian legend that during a certain festival time, if a certain flower was found by two young people, they were destined for each other.
Profanity: None. Mention of a character cursing under his breath; language not articulated.
Morality: Characters lie and practice deceit in their attempts to get past the border guards; an Orthodox priest harbors smugglers in his church; village bands together to prevent the Cossacks from burning the church down; religion is viewed as an integral part of society for it defines culture.
For me, this book was absolute perfection. 100% awesome. Plenty of action and danger but well-balanced with Audra's thoughtful contemplations and the overarching theme of the importance of words and literature in defining a culture. The characters were lovable and relatable and Lukas's sense of humor had me laughing out loud. One of my new favorite reads!
Overall Recommendation: 12+
God Bless!
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