They Took My Father

A riveting memoir of one familys struggle under a totalitarian regime Mayme Sevander and Laurie Hertzel tell a poignant tale of a hidden corner of U.S. and Soviet history. Tracing the hopes and hardships of one family over two continents, They Took My Father explores the boundaries of loyalty, identity, and ideals. Amy Goldstein, Washington Post What makes Maymes story so uniquelyalmost unbelievablytragic is that her family chose to move from the United States to the Soviet Union in 1934, thinking they were going to help build a workers paradise. They found, instead, a deadly nightmare. St. Paul Pioneer Press This gripping and timely book traces the beginnings of communism not as dry history but as a fascinating personal drama that spreads across Russia, Finland, and the mining towns of Upper Michigan and the Iron Range of Minnesota. . . . An important and largely ignored part of history comes alive in one womans story of her tragic family, caught up in the all-consuming struggle of the twentieth century. Frank Lynn, political reporter, New York Times