Anița Nandriș-Cudla was born in 1904 into a peasant family in Bucovina. In June 1941, 13,000 Romanians from this region experienced the horror of deportation, among them, Anița and her entire family. They were taken beyond the Arctic Circle, into a hostile universe, where for 20 years, nothing but love and faith supported them. Barely literate, Anița returned home and wrote in simple words the story of this survival.

This unique testimony was miraculously preserved for over two decades until it could be published. Anița's book was awarded the "Lucian Blaga" Prize by the Romanian Academy in 1992.