The Endless Steppe could easily be compared to The Diary of Anne Frank due to their similar ages and some aspects of their stories, however this book does have a largely happy ending. Boys should not be deterred by the female narrator, as her story is so powerful. Hautzig reportedly wrote The Endless Steppe at the prompting of presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson, to whom she had written after reading his articles about his visit to Rubtsovsk.

However, older readers should not be put off by the simple language and adolescent voice, as I believe Esther's well observed comments about her conditions and the effect they had on her are interesting for any age. The subject matter is at times very disturbing and saddening, and as it is narrated by the voice of Esther herself, I would suggest no one younger than 11 should read it. So I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the social impact of the Second World War in the East. I have always been interested in this period of history, and in particular what happened to the citizens as result of the conflict under the Nazis – almost Esther's entire extended family were murdered during the Holocaust – but before reading this book, I knew very little about the effects of the brutal Soviet regime. Its a remarkable story, more so for being a true story.

She has whiny and determined moods, wants to fit in at school, dreams of winning a drama competition and even has her first crush on a boy, all of which made me feel oddly connected to a young girl whose experiences I could never imagine living through. Esther didnt find herself in a Polish concentration camp run by Nazis, she found herself in Siberia surrounded by Russians. The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberiaby Esther HautzigTHE LITERARY WORK A young-aduit autobiography set in Siberia, Russia, from 1941 to 1946 published in 1968. It is also made more appealing by the universal feeling Esther has of still being a typical teenager at heart, even when her upbringing is so far removed from normality. Yet throughout, Esther's hopeful nature and, at times, naïve optimism makes the tale an ultimately uplifting one of survival and the strength of family.

The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig