The Rings of My Tree: A Latvian Woman's Journey, by Jane E. Cunningham, is a well-told story of one young woman's journey starting in pre-WWII Latvia. We follow Jane's friend Mirdza as she is ripped from her beloved home in Liepaja (which was also my mother's home at the time the war started), is separated from family and friends, and ends up, like so many of our own family and relatives, in a Displaced Persons camp in Germany. For those of us that are Latvian, it is a familiar story. However, many Latvians of my generation, including myself, regrettably never heard the whole story from their parents, for one reason or another--most often it was because they were memories they did not want to recall, or that they simply wanted to "spare us." Still, over the years, I had gathered bits and pieces of my parents' separate experiences, and reading Mirdza's account helped me put those pieces into context and understand them better.

Regardless of what your own history is with the WWII and immigrant experience, The Rings of My Tree is well worth reading. As I mentioned, the story is familiar, and there are no great surprises--but I found peace in Mirdza's quiet strength as I read this book. Before reading Mirdza's tale, I had read book reviews that described Mirdza as submissive; I don't agree at all. She was assertive when necessary and smart enough not to make waves in the face of dire consequences, even when threatened with death. In her new home she learned how to get along for the greater good. Like all of the brave Latvians that survived the ravages of war, the camps, and then started over as immigrants in new countries, Mirdza showed great courage and tenacity. She was able to survive separation from family, countless atrocities, a bombing injury that left her with a permanent limp, and extreme prejudice from her new community after finally making it to America--ostracized as a "German" since she had arived from Germany and spoke English with an accent--all without a single trace of bitterness. To face every day anew, with quiet inner strength, required the heights of courage.

I'm writing this review from a personal perspective for a reason. I've corresponded with the author several times. Moreover, reading the book motivated me to finally sit down with my father and interview him about his experiences during and after the war. My parents had always been reluctant to talk about those times; it was just too painful. My mother passed away several years ago, and my father always looked forward to my monthly visits and loved to chat so I had a feeling he'd be ready to tell his story. He agreed, but he wasn't feeling well, so I put it off. Unfortunately, he passed away Christmas Day, 2004. Now his story will never be told. So I urge you, fellow Latvians, read this book. If you have stories of your own to tell, tell them, and if you have parents living to share their stories, have them do so while there is still time, that is, if they're at all willing.

-- Silvija Vecrumba

The book is availalble at (we have no commercial ties with these vendors):

Amazon - Canada
http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/books/
1595263489/reviews/ref=cm_rev_more_2/702-2415870-9310433

Barnes and Noble
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/
isbnInquiry.asp?userid=Rt3oxBs9Jx&isbn=1595263489&itm=1

Llumina Press
http://www.llumina.com/store/theringsofmytree.htm

Eleven die as high winds pound northern Europe Reuters North America Sunday, January 09, 2005 10:40:00 AM
Copyright 2005 Reuters Ltd.
By Simon Johnson
STOCKHOLM, Jan 9 (Reuters) — Eleven people were killed and at least four were missing after gale-force winds battered northern Europe at the weekend, causing flooding and transport chaos and leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity.
Worst-hit was southern Scandinavia. In Sweden, TT news agency said seven people died, including three motorists whose cars were hit by falling trees, as winds of up to 67 miles per hour (mph) hit the south of the country.
The winds left 400,000 Swedes without power and forced the closure of two nuclear power stations. Sturup airport, near Malmo, was briefly closed and ferry traffic stopped, TT said.
Across the Baltic Sea, Latvia's state power company, Latvenergo, said 60 percent of the country's population of 2.4 million was without electricity on Sunday.
"The prime minister has announced that this is an electricity crisis," Arno Pjaktins, spokesman for Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis, told Reuters.
The military had evacuated people from districts in the capital, Riga, because of flooding, he said.
Danish news agency Ritzau said more than 15,000 households were without power, and the Meteorological Institute issued a severe storm warning for the country as high winds caused widespread disruption to trains and ferry transport.
Danish police said on Saturday two men were killed when they were struck by a roof torn off a cottage on the Island of Funen, while two others were killed by falling trees.
FLOODING
A blackout hit 20,000 households in southern Norway on Saturday night, but power had been restored to most homes by Sunday morning, Norwegian rescue services said.
Power was out at one quarter of Estonia's electricity companies, and mobile and fixed line telephones were also hit, the Baltic News Service said. The Tallinn weather station reported waves of up to 12 metres high in the Gulf of Finland.
In Britain, police searched for two men swept away by overflowing rivers in the north of England, after heavy rain and 90 mph gales ripped through many parts of the country.
Police were also investigating three deaths that may have been caused by the extreme weather.
The Environment Agency issued 25 flood warnings on Sunday and the Met Office warned of more gales and heavy rain to come.
The northwestern English county of Cumbria was hardest hit, with emergency services rescuing hundreds of people from flooded homes after a river burst its banks. The town of Carlisle was swamped with its worst floods for 40 years and electricity was cut to 76,000 homes.
One hundred passengers and crew disembarked on Sunday from a ferry at Cairnryan, off western Scotland, after spending the night on the vessel, which had run aground in gale-force winds.
Hurricane-force winds battered the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, ripping up trees, tearing off roofs and blowing cars off roads. Police divers searched Brahmsee lake on Sunday for two canoeists who disappeared during the storm.
(Additional reporting by Kim McLaughlin in Copenhagen, Jackie Dent in London)
Fierce storms from Ireland to Russia claim 16 lives AP WorldStream Monday, January 10, 2005 7:41:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
By TOMMY GRANDELL
Associated Press Writer
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — Deadly storms left more than 250,000 homes and businesses in northern Europe without power Monday as work crews from Russia to Ireland began cleaning up after powerful winds and heavy rains claimed at least 16 lives.
In southern Sweden, seven people were reported killed during the storm, which packed hurricane-strength winds, including four motorists who died after trees fell onto their cars. Another man was killed when bales of hay stacked at his farm overturned, crushing him, police said Monday.
In neighboring Denmark, four people died when hit by flying debris or trees crashed onto them, Danish police said. Several western Danish towns were flooded by the rising sea and residents piled sandbags to prevent the water from entering their homes.
In the city of Carlisle in northwest England, schools were closed and hospitals canceled major operations. Thousands of residents waited to return to their homes, swamped after the River Eden burst its banks.
Three people were killed and two more in Yorkshire and in Scotland were missing and thought to have been swept away by swollen rivers.
In the north German state of Schleswig-Holstein, wind damaged houses and forced the shutdown of train and ferry links and highway bridges. Two 20-year-old men whose kayak capsized on a lake near the town of Landwedel were missing and presumed dead.
"There's no more hope for the two youths, in our view," police spokesman Dirk Voss said Monday in Rendsburg.
In Ireland, several rivers burst their banks and flooded roads.
About 150,000 homes lost lost electricity over the weekend, but most had power restored by Monday. In western Galway, a school had its roof blown off.
A flood warning was put in place along the country's major river, the Shannon, with a risk of flooding forecast for Tuesday.
Some 219,000 homes in Sweden remained without power and electricity companies said it was gradually being restored. In Denmark, 12,500 homes were without power in eastern Denmark.
Across the Baltic Sea, nearly 40 percent of Latvia and thousands more in neighboring Estonia and Lithuania were still without power or heat.
The storm, which meteorologists say was among the worst to hit the region in 40 years, brought hurricane-strength winds of 145 kph (90 mph) that ripped roofs from homes and damaged property in coastal towns and villages.
No damage estimates of the weekend storm have been made, but preliminary figures by insurers said it could be tens of millions of euros (dollars) in property damage across northern Europe.
Estonian Prime Minister Juhan Parts visited the coastal city Parnu, 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of the capital Tallinn on Monday, the hardest hit in Estonia, to assess the damage there.
In Latvia firefighters and soldiers worked through the night to clear fallen trees and off roads and schools were ordered closed through Wednesday until power could be restored.
In Finland, sea levels reached record highs cutting off several highways, but no major damage was reported.
Norway set to assume role in patrolling Baltic airspace AP WorldStream Monday, January 10, 2005 4:33:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — The first pair of Norwegian F-16 fighter jets landed at Zokniai air base on Monday as Norway prepares to take charge of patrolling the Baltic countries' airspace.
The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said that four Norwegian F-16s will begin patrolling the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Wednesday for three months, taking over the responsibility from Britain, which has had four jets based in Lithuania since October.
A contingent of 100 NATO troops are based in Siauliai, a city of 170,000 people about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Vilnius.
The Baltic states regained their independence amid the 1991 Soviet collapse and last year joined the European Union and NATO. Norway is also a member of NATO.
Since the Baltic states joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Danish, Belgian and British jets have all rotated through the region to patrol the air space of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Thousands in northern Europe still without power after fierce storms AP WorldStream Tuesday, January 11, 2005 5:50:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
By MATT MOORE
Associated Press Writer
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — More than 150,000 Swedes were without power Tuesday and police said another person was reported killed in fierce storms that struck northern Europe over the weekend, bringing the death toll to 17.
In southern Sweden, seven people were reported killed in the weekend storm. Police said Tuesday that an eighth person was found dead and another remained missing.
Swedish utilities Sydkraft AB and Vattenfall AB said 150,000 households were still without electricity, and another 180,000 without phone service.
The country's National Board of Forestry said the hurricane-strength winds felled more than 50 million cubic meters (1.7 billion cubic feet) of trees, or about two years worth of lumber.
Four people were killed in Denmark by flying debris or falling trees.
Another 10,000 homes in northeastern England were without running water Tuesday because of the weekend storms that caused flooding.
Meanwhile, police warned thousands of homeowners against returning to flood-damaged properties in the northwestern city of Carlisle because of contaminated water and damaged electrical cabling.
Three people died in the area after heavy rains and gale-force winds battered northern Britain during the weekend. Some 13,000 homes in the Carlisle district remained without electricity Tuesday, according to power watchdog Energywatch North West.
The weekend storm, which meteorologists say was among the worst to hit the region in 40 years, brought hurricane-strength winds of 145 kph (90 mph) that ripped roofs from homes and wrought widespread property damage along the coast. Insurers put preliminary damage estimates at tens of millions of euros (dollars).
In the Baltic states, power was restored to thousands of residents in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.
In Latvia, where heavy gusts tore the roofs off many homes in coastal regions, residents went about repairing their damaged property even as they braced for what meteorologists are predicting will be another unusually heavy storm to hit the region on Thursday.
Estonia's state forestry service on Tuesday estimated the storm toppled nearly 1 million cubic meters (35.3 million cubic feet) of timber, which could amount to almost Ç30 million (US$39.31 million) in damages.
Agency moves to stop Internet advertising for X-rated spam AP WorldStream Tuesday, January 11, 2005 5:14:00 PM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
By LAURIE KELLMAN
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Claiming a victory against X-rated spam, the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday it had won an order to shut down illegal Internet advertising for six companies accused of profiting from sexually explicit e-mail.
A federal judge in Las Vegas granted the commission's request for a temporary restraining order against the companies, their executives and an affiliate for allegedly violating federal laws regulating commercial electronic mail, commonly known as spam.
The FTC sought an injunction halting the network's illegal e-mail ads. The judge agreed Jan. 5 to a temporary ban. Pornographic spam is especially nettlesome because it can be delivered to the electronic mailboxes of children.
Frank Cremen, who represents the companies named in the complaint, said his clients have "no quarrel" complying with the law, and that the spamming had stopped before the FTC filed its complaint.
"They've tried to work with the FTC to work this out," Cremen said in a telephone interview.
The case marked the first time the commission took action under a rule that requires a label in the subject line of sexually explicit e-mails, to make it easier for parents and others to filter such messages. The law also holds others liable for operating Web sites that benefit from fraudulent pornographic spam.
"It's not just the people who push the buttons to send spam" who are liable, said Eileen Harrington, director of the FTC's marketing practices division.
The companies named in the FTC complaint operate about 20 Web sites advertised in the illegal e-mails, Harrington said.
The Nevada companies were Global Net Solutions Inc., Open Space Enterprises Inc., Southlake Group Inc. and WTFRC Inc., which does business as Reflected Networks Inc.
Also named in the complaint were Global Net Ventures Ltd., of London, and Wedlake Ltd., which the FTC said is based in Riga, Latvia.
Executives of those companies were named in the complaint along with an individual, Paul Rose. The FTC said Rose sent hundreds of thousands of illegal e-mails directing recipients to the sites operated by the companies named in the filing.
The Associated Press could not locate Rose or an attorney representing him.
The FTC said the e-mails did not include the required "SEXUALLY EXPLICIT" warning in the subject line, falsely promised free membership to the Web sites and gave recipients no way of stopping the unwanted e-mails.
Those requirements are part of the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003, dubbed "Can Spam," and other federal trade laws. Spammers who violate the rules face possible imprisonment and criminal fines of up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for an organization.
Latvia's president to attend Russian World War II veterans commemoration AP WorldStream Wednesday, January 12, 2005 9:00:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
By TIMOTHY JACOBS
Associated Press Writer
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — President Vaira Vike-Freiberga said Wednesday she would attend ceremonies in Moscow commemorating the World War II defeat of Nazi Germany despite the lack of an apology for the five-decade Soviet occupation of the Baltics.
Russia has invited several world leaders, including the presidents of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, to participate in the May 9 ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the allied victory over Germany. Most countries mark the day on May 8.
"I will be extending a hand of friendship to Russia," Vike-Freiberga said. "Latvia invites Russia to display the same degree of conciliation to Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and to condemn the crimes of the Second World War, regardless of who committed them."
Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus and Estonian President Arnold Ruutel had not yet decided if they would attend, their offices said.
Ruutel said Wednesday that he respected Vike-Freiberga's decision and that it would not change relations or affect future cooperation between the Baltic states.
Vike-Freiberga also called on Russia to denounce the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, the secret 1939 German-Soviet treaty that sanctioned the Soviet annexation of the Baltic countries. She pointed out that in 1945 only half of Europe could rejoice in the defeat of the Nazis and the end of occupation.
Soviet forces occupied the Baltic states in June 1940 but were driven out by the Germans a year later. The Red Army retook the Baltics in 1944 and the three countries were reincorporated into the Soviet Union.
Russian-Baltic relations have been strained at times since the three countries regained their independence amid the 1991 Soviet collapse. Moscow routinely accuses Latvia and Estonia of discriminating against their large Russian minorities while the Baltics accuse Russia of bullying and never having adequately acknowledged the Soviet occupation.
Russia only recently ratified a border treaty with Lithuania and has yet to do so with Latvia and Estonia, but Vike-Freiberga said Wednesday the issue was not tied to her visit to Moscow and the signing would not take place at the May ceremonies.
Former Polish President Lech Walesa says Eastern Europe transforming continent's image AP WorldStream Thursday, January 13, 2005 12:48:00 PM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
By TIMOTHY JACOBS
Associated Press Writer
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Former Polish President Lech Walesa said Thursday that the expansion of the European Union last year gave Eastern Europe a chance to transform the image and perception of the continent.
"It's good that we have been admitted to Europe," the Solidarity founder told a conference in the Latvian capital. "But we are going there to change it with our experience."
Walesa is in Latvia — which, like Poland, joined the EU in May 2004 -- to participate in a conference about Solidarity and the road to EU integration for eastern Europe.
Walesa called on the Eastern European countries to use their experience fighting for freedom to help shape the EU.
Latvian Education Minister Ina Druviete, speaking at the conference, said the success of the Solidarity movement marked the beginning of the end for the Soviet grip on Eastern Europe.
"The military might of the USSR and the always vigilant eye of the KGB did not let us in Latvia believe that anything could change and it was Solidarity that gave us the badly needed ray of hope," said Druviete.
Like Poland, Latvia, and neighboring Estonia and Lithuania, emerged from the 1991 Soviet collapse completely independent and eager to rebuild ties with the west.
The four countries, along with Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta, joined the 25-member bloc in 2004.
Walesa met with President Vaira Vike-Freiberga later Thursday and took part in a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of a peasant uprising that left thousands of Latvians dead.
About 3,000 Latvian peasants and workers were killed in 1905 by Czarist Russian troops, and others were exiled to Siberia for taking part in an uprising against Russian authorities and German landowners. Latvia was under Russian control at the time.
Walesa will meet Friday with Riga Mayor Gundars Bojars and Latvia's Catholic Cardinal, Janis Pujats, before returning to Warsaw by train.
EU goverments fail to meet, scale back protections AP WorldStream Thursday, January 13, 2005 1:48:00 PM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — European Union governments and institutions did not rise to challenges of protecting challenges to its long human rights tradition, Human Rights Watch said Thursday in its annual report.
Instead, the report said, they continued to scale back rights protection-- in particular for asylum seekers and migrants.
"They also missed the opportunity to distinguish European practice from the abusive actions by other countries by employing counterterrorism strategies that violate fundamental rights, including the prohibitions against torture and indefinite detention," the report said.
The 10 new member states admitted to the EU in May 2004 — Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia -- were confronted instantly with the challenge of becoming counties of final destination for asylum seekers, the report said, without having the means and the experience to deal with increased number of refugees.
"The new member states' asylum systems and immigration procedures are woefully underdeveloped and under resources to meet this challenge," the report said.
In Russia, the report said, there was further erosion of the fundamental rights that underpin the country's fledgling democracy.
The group noted that the war in Chechnya was entering its sixth year "with both sides committing numerous and unpunished human rights abuses."
The government again failed to take on Russia's numerous entrenched human rights problems, the report said, including widespread police torture and violent hazing in the armed forces.
Duma "perplexed" by Latvian president's assessment of WWII RIA Novosti Thursday January 13, 2005
Copyright 2004 RIA Novosti
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) — The historical assessments of the results of WWII made in the declaration of Latvian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga caused "perplexity and disappointment" in the State Duma, State Duma international committee head Konstantin Kosachyov stated on Thursday.
After reading the text of the declaration of the Latvian president, his positive appraisal of the Latvian president's decision to take part in the celebration of the Day of Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow gave way to "an outright surprise bordering on disappointment," Kosachyov said.
"One gets the impression that the Latvian president sees this holiday sacred for all the member-countries of the anti-Hitler coalition as a pretext to make historical claims to the modern Russia once again and actually equalize the winners and losers in the Second World War," he noted.
Characteristically, making claims to the actions of the then Soviet leaders once again, the Latvian authorities call the Soviet Union "Soviet Russia", thereby equalizing the Soviet Union and modern Russia, he stressed. However, the victory over Nazi Germany was won by the whole country, the whole Soviet people, including the peoples of the Soviet Baltic republics, he noted. "This historic feat must not be hushed up," he stressed.
What is also surprising is that the forthcoming holiday is called "a European summit", although among the five dozen heads of state invited to Moscow are also the US president and the heads of many other non-European states.
The Latvian president's refusal to sign a bilateral agreement on the border during her stay in Moscow also causes bewilderment. "Thereby we are losing a historic chance to leave claims and grudges in the past once and forever and start jointly implementing the huge potential of existing Russian-Latvian relations," he noted.
At the same time, he expressed the hope that this declaration is just a concession to the state of public opinion in Latvia and will not prevent the Latvian president from taking part in the forthcoming festivities together with the leaders of the other states who have already accepted the invitation of the Russian leaders to come to Moscow to mark Victory Day, May 9.