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"There is no cause on earth worth dying for, no God worth one's dying breath, no country worth one's martyrdom, no principle worth one's sacrifice. Only in the name of love is death worthy. And friendship. Therefore make no friends. Friendship seduces sacrifice. Avoid it."

This inheritance is passed down from one generation of the Bindel family to the next, as they are continually prosecuted for their Jewish lineage. The theme of the book, therefore, is survival at all costs - and the perils that the Bindels go through are truly harrowing. From forced servitude in the Russian army, to the czar's murderous pogroms, to Nazi Germany concentration camps, and finally to the Soviet Union's restrictions and intolerance, the Bindel generations do all they can to live long enough to pass down the old incantation to their own children.

This book is a lot more sober, serious, and heartbreaking than other works I read by Rubens. Truly a masterpiece of resilience and the strength of familial love.