JOURNEY TO RUSSIA: A novel on the Germans emigration to the Volga - 1762 - 1782

by Sérgio Neville Holzmann

In the year 1762, thousands of Germans fled their land to the distant banks of the Volga. This novel tells – in a romanticized manner - their eighteen month saga from their villages in Germany until their arrival in Saratov and the founding of their colonies. Many starved and died on this endless journey, or were killed by animals; some got lost in the endless, cold steppe; some faced the outlaws, the Kalmucks and Kyrgyz, and were kidnapped and sold to Arab slave traders to work in the mines in the Middle East; several endured infinite winters in burrows... Nevertheless, many managed to overcome these hindrances and, finally, reached Saratov, their promised land... However, the perils did not end there! The heretic Russian rebel Pugachev tried to expel them by force; their plantations were constantly at risk because of the religious intolerance of the barbaric tribes... “Journey to Russia” covers a period of twenty years (1762-1782), with emphasis on the first five years. The culture, prejudices, costumes, clothing and food of the period are richly described amidst the several individual stories. Drama, love, sex, suffering and ambition permeate the novel, making it a lively and a non-stop reading story. Join Johann Peter, the brave young man, who fled alone to embark on a dream, together with his dwarf friend, Rask; or follow Franz Becker, who, by the chances of the destiny, ended up as a musician in Saint Petersburg, praised by the Czarina Catherine II and falling in love by the aristocrat Tonya. Most importantly, the book is a must-read to the descendants of these pioneers, now living in the United States, South America and other places, to understand and praise the values, endeavors, obstinacy, courage and audacity of their forbears.

287 pages, Paperback

Published December 20, 2017

Reviews

[Pablo Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent historical fiction novel. It deals with very the seldom mentioned topic of the migration and settlement of the Volga Germans. Every page was interesting. The story focuses on the lives of two main characters, Franz and Johann.

From what little I have researched about the Volga Germans, the novel seems to be accurate in its historical details. The author himself translated it into English, and English is a second language to him. The errors in word usage did not distract from the quality of the story.

[Mary Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walking with my ancestors!

A personal journey with the struggles the German families and single people endured on their trip to the Volga Russia area. Nothing was as promised by the Russians when the finally reach their designation. Not only did they survive; they became prosperous. And always love, marriage and children even in the most difficult situations.

[Claudia Rueb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tedious but rewarding

I found this book because I was looking for a books about THE Volga River Germans. My grandparents came to America in 1912 from Straub, Russia and this story gave a lot of information about that area. I think it is quite tedious in the details but I enjoyed it nonetheless.