Independent Review

Review in the March Messenger of The Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Phoenix, AZ. by...Rose Marie Petersen, Librarian.

I found while reading this book that Lenci-Downs conveyed such an acute perception of events, places and emotions that I was experiencing them, especially in connection with Lise and her mother. I am going to quote extensively from Nancy K. Splain's foreword to the new edition. The inspiration to write this book came one sunny January day when author Elizabeth Lenci-Downs was walking with a new friend down the idyllic pathways of the greenbelt area of Scottsdale, Arizona. Suddenly, Lise turned and said, "Elizabeth, I heard my people cry, and I can never forget it." In this way began Lenci-Downs labor of love, resulting in a powerful book, one which indeed makes the story of Lise's family unforgettable. This well-crafted book is a fitting tribute to one mother's faith, determination and courage. But I Heard My People Cry is much more. It is also an inspiring testimony to the strength of the human spirit and to the power of faith and love. As such, this book about the experiences of one Dutch German Mennonite family in the face of Stalin's Red Terror presents a story which transcends cultural, ethnic and geographical boundaries. By documenting, through the voice of young Lise, the struggles and suffering as well as the strengths and triumphs of the Huebert family, Elizabeth Lenci-Downs gives voice to all the silent victims of tyranny whose stories have been lost. It is an important book. In like manner as Solzhenitzen's The Gulag Archipelago or Anne Frank's Diary this book reminds all of us who enjoy the fruits of liberty that they are not easily won nor, once established, automatically maintained. Importantly, I Heard My People Cry is a tribute to the human spirit-the desire to survive with honor against the forces of horror and degradation.