LIBERTY, Pa., June 11, 2009 — To a small child, the world is a simply amazing place viewed through innocent eyes. When the horrors of war shatter that innocence and simplicity, the effect can be quite profound. “My Heritage, My Destiny” (published by iUniverse) by Dr. Baiba Kreger is an autobiographical journey of a toddler in Latvia, to a small girl in World War II Germany, to a young immigrant woman making her way in the “New World.”
As “My Heritage, My Destiny” opens, readers meet a very small child in a middle class home in 1940’s Latvia. Her life is as happily simple as any small child’s life should be. However, the loss of her father to tuberculosis begins a string of hardships that will continue well into Baiba’s adolescence.
After the death her father, Baiba’s mother Laima marries a man named Arvids. As World War II rips across Europe and into Latvia, Arvids tries to lead his young family to safety. Striking out from their home in Bauska, the family’s initial destination is the Latvian countryside. However, as the fighting rages across Latvia, it soon becomes apparent that they must leave their country altogether. The family takes a boat to Germany where they spend the remainder of the war.
While living in Germany, Baiba and her family suffer through the often forgotten side of WWII. “My Heritage, My Destiny” follows Baiba’s family, now refugees or displaced persons, as they move across Germany while confronted with starvation, oppressive rationing and constant peril. In Germany, the refugees lived in many locations and saw incredible devastation. From Erfurt to Heidelberg to Mannheim to Schwabisch Gmund, these places left impressions on Baiba that would last the rest of her life.
After the end of the War, Baiba’s family was lucky enough to end up in Ally controlled Western Germany. From there, the family was sponsored by The Liberty Valley Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania and immigrates to Liberty, PA. Scarred from a decade of war, Baiba and her family began a new life in America. However, the hardships for Baiba were far from over.
Dr. Baiba Kreger is a retired teacher who earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in education from Mansfield University in Northern Pennsylvania. After teaching in Liberty, PA for ten years, Kreger returned to school and earned her Doctorate in Education. Dr. Kreger went on to teach in Florida for 16 more years until retiring and returning to her adopted home of Liberty, PA. Dr. Kreger is currently working on a children’s book called “Copper.”
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