"People talked and it has happened, that in this war we can expect surprises; we are a bridge between two insatiable countries run by dictators. And here it is; we had hoped to be left untouched, believed in humanness." Originally published in the Lithuanian language in 1968, this historical novel is based on events that occurred in Lithuania following the first Soviet occupation in 1940-1941. Set against the backdrop of the daily life and culture of numerous devout and hardworking Lithuanians in the Samogitia region, the story vividly depicts how ordinary people became caught up in a totalitarian system, culminating in mass deportations and the brutal murder of innocent people.