Stolen Youth of War

Lina lived a hard life growing up in Babrichi, Ukraine, where a woman would give birth in the field and wrapped her newborn in a blanket before placing it down and returning to work. But life was about to get harder. In June 1941, the Germans launched their invasion of the Soviet Union with Operation Barbarossa. Suddenly, a convoy of SS vehicles arrived with flags emblazoned with swastikas snapping in the wind. At first, the villagers were curious about the men in green uniforms who went around yelling, Heil Hitler! They could not prepare themselves for what would happen. Lina and many others were taken from the families and forced into slavery in Germany. But somehow, she was able to find Peter, and they discovered a love that would turn separation into togetherness. Written by Lina and Peters grandaughter, this true story chronicles the atrocities of the Nazis and celebrates how two victims found each other, survived, and built a loving life together in post-war Ukraine.