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Days of terror BOOK REPORT Days Of Terror I think this book was really great and very interesting. I found that the book got more exciting towards the end and middle part. This book became really boring and unbearable at some points and I just had to throw it a down and take a nap. But then again at some point it became so exciting I couldn’t put it down without constantly thinking what else would happen. In the first chunk of this novel the book describes how a Mennonite
family in Russia. A young boy named Otto who is a brother to Peter has gone to
war and is a medic because it’s against his religion to use a gun or harm
someone. He is coming back and his brother is really excited about his brother
coming back home. When Peter and his father go to pick up his older brother Otto
they find them selves being accused of being spies, and people pointing at them
and shouting “all Germans should be killed”. I think that this is very
ridiculous behaviour and that peter, Otto and his father must have been deeply
hurt by this scene. I also think that if any person would discriminate anyone
else just because of his or her race is a person who is yet to learn that
everyone is the dame no matter what colour of skin or race. Anyway after they
arrive home Peter finds himself doing lots of work that he did not expect to be
doing and Otto having to do also lots of work and not being able to spend time
with him. During this period of “peace” Peter has lots of laughs and all
good things have to come to an end. Shortly after all these good times come to an end, burglars come to this
town of Tiegen. In Tiegen no one had a weapon because it was against Mennonite
religion to harm anyone and they always obeyed the 10 commandments. I think that
this is really great that these Mennonites have their own religion and that they
can so honestly obey it. By not harming anyone they are setting a great example
for the rest of us, because if no one would intentionally harm anyone there
would be no violence or any policemen, it would be great. Well the burglars came
and Peter and Otto managed to scare them off by dressing in these Indian
costumes they have received from Canada and dancing around, the buglers were
frightened of the bows and strange costumes so they ran away, and didn’t come
back. I think that this was a very brave thing Otto and peter did considering
that the burglars had guns and weapons and all they had was a weird costumes and
bows which they never used before. After this everything started to go
downhill… Schools started to close in these Mennonite villages and children were
not taught how to speak German or taught about their beliefs and religions
anymore. As the war front moved towards the village of Tiegen soviet soldiers
needed places to stay and stay so the city of Tiegen became one of their
headquarters. The general and 5 other soviet soldiers came to take over the
church so the Mennonites would have no where to speak to god and register their
prays and beliefs, but peters grandfather stood before the doors of the church
and refused to let the soviets enter. This was a very effective way until the
soldiers removed the grandfather and took him to jail for punishment. I think
that this was once again a very brave and noble thing to do in such a time.
After the soviets rampage the city they take everything they can to use, such as
goods, cars, food and anything else. Once they left the city several days after
Germans took control of the city and the Germans helped fix and repair all the
damages that the soviets have made to this poor city of Mennonites. As said in
the book on page 80 paragraph 3, line 3 “this time the people talked and
laughed with them. When they weren’t drilling with their guns, they mended the
fences and helped plough the gardens.” I think that this pretty much
summarizes what the German armies did and what the soviet armies did not. I feel
that this is a very wise and kind thing to do what the German armies did. They
became like family members to the families, they not only take things from the
families they also gave their help when needed and I think that was a really
great thing. Next after the German armies were falling the Mennonites assembled a
self-defence unit, which Otto was a part of. But this wasn’t a very good move
according to his religion because according to his religion he must not harm or
kill anyone else. But it was the only hope because they Russian armies and
Bandits have sworn to kill all Mennonites, which aided the Germans. This was a
pretty scary situation; it was scary because you knew there was someone who is
going to come try to kill you just because you helped someone else. After a
while the bandits started to come to the town and peters family has had made
several arrangements on what if scenarios. Everything was worked out and the
main plan was to satisfy the bandits that came with food and warmth from the
fire. This worked for most part but at the end it failed and peters father
rushed into the room turned of the lights and bravely fought the men for their
guns, after he had grabbed the guns he ran outside and threw them into the yard.
After he rejoined his family in the orchard he was bleeding because a bullet had
just nicked his ear. I think that in these types of situations you might even
have to question your religion and just try to survive and protect your family
as well as you can. Back in the town there was talk of people getting killed by bandits
because they did not satisfy them and so they killed them. There was also talk
about the Mass migration, which is being planned for all the Mennonites. After
winter had come bandits have left and the soviet armies have once again returned
to the town to seek hospitality. This time they were filthy, dirty, and smelly
and had some serious health issues. Peter and his sister were not allowed near
them because of the sicknesses they carry. After several days the family was
starting to run low on food and supplies, eventually peter started to chop down
trees and gather wood for the fireplace. When he opened the doors to the
summerhouse he was surprised to have found his long lost brother Otto who had
left the self defence unit because it was dismantled and is now hiding because
he fears that the soviet army will imprison him or kill him. Peter understands
and goes to fetch supplies for him. It is not long though that soviet soldiers
show up looking for Otto at his home for imprisonment, but he is not there he is
long gone. After the soviets leave once again the family suffers great depression
due to lack of food and the big drought, which prevents from food being grown.
After a while they decided to migrate to Canada where they will start a new
life. As they travel to the borders they are checked, examined and checked again
to make sure that they are fit to meet all the standards of being able to go to
Canada. During this period Aunt Lizze falls sick along with Peters sister
“Katya” who catches the measles. Due this Lizze and Katya cannot come to
Canada because they would just be bringing new diseases to a new world. After
they decided that they would meet up in Canada after Lizze and Katya become well
once again, Peter meets Otto and gives him a supply of money, which was kept
hidden for emergencies. Otto says he will contact them from Holland from where
he will travel to North America. In conclusion the family suffers great losses and has to leave grandpa
behind also because of his age. Once they reach Canada they are welcomed and
looked after by a Canadian family, which is really nice to them and helps them
out in whichever way they can. I think that I can relate to this as for when I
go somewhere completely new I always appreciate when people show me around and
give me advice, I also try to be the same and when I see someone in need of help
I volunteer to help them out of whatever troubles they are in. Aunt Lizze dies
of a disease that was carried by the soviet soldiers, Katya recovers and comes
to Canada also eventually. After long waiting news of Otto reaches them and they
are once again reunited as a family in a new country… a free country! CANADA!
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