The Long Walk Home, With Miracles Along The Way

The book that would become The Long Walk Home began many years ago as a family history.  One could say a "simple family history", but in the reading you will see that the story is anything but simple.  A promise was made by Anatole to his aging parents that he would make sure to preserve the story of their family so that future generations would not forget the struggles that their ancestors endured so that they could live in freedom.  As facts were set down and stories shared with friends and family it became evident that the story of Jacob and Olga and their family was a timeless one, a story worthy of sharing with others.  So, with a new focus, Anatole Kurdsjuk finished the work in late 2004, releasing the work to the public in Spring of 2005.  So, what is the story about?

It is a story about a family - but it is more. It is a story of history and the persecution of the Russian people, first by the Stalinist government and then by the Nazis - but it is still more. Above all else, The Long Walk Home is a story of love and the human will.  Follow the tale of Jacob and Olga as the horrible realities of early 20th Century Russia cause them to lose their home, their children, face separation, exile, imprisonment and forced marches to Nazi labor camps, and ultimately, stumbling block after stumbling block in their attempt to come to America. Experience their joy and sadness, their love and loss, their faith and determination. Most of all, experience the miracles along the way.