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During the middle of the night the soviet or NKVD soldiers took Lina and her Family. This event is signifigant to the story because it is what causes all of the trials that they have later in the book. (Image: NKVD soldier uniform hat)
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After riding in the trains and trucks the Lina, her family, and all of the other passengers were told to sit while people "inspected" the groups to buy as slaves. This is an important event because it determines where Lina and her company will spend a majority of the book. (Image: a group waiting to be sold to labor camps)
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Lina and all of the other passengers in her truck are transported to a town called Shanytown in what the Bald Man has told them is Siberia. This is where Lina will spend the majority of the book (Image: what some of the huts in a labor camp like Shannytown might have looked like)
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After arriving in Shannytown the lithuanians are taken to the bathouse. This is the first event that shows the cruelty of the commander which will come to play later in the book. (Image: the bathhouse they might have used)
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The commander calls in Mrs. Vilkas to ask her to translate documents and to spy on the other groups in exchange for good treatments. She does not except. This gives insight to why the commander especially picked on the Vilkas's. (Image: Documents Mrs. Vilkas might have had to translate.)
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All of the Lithuanians are called into the commanders office during the night to sign a document saying that they are criminals and that they will do manual labor for the next 15 years. They refused. This is another time showing the cruelty of the NKVD especially the commander. (Image: What the document may ahve looked like)
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The blond guard (Kretzky) escorts Lina to the commander's office where he requests for her to draw a portrait of him. She accepts and steals a pencil. Show the character of the commander of not only being cruel but also prideful and arrogant. (Image: A pencil LIna might have used to draw the commander)
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Before Lina leaves for the artic circle Andrius gives her a new book and tells her his birthday. This event in the book shows the starting romance between Lina and Andrius in the book. (Image: What Andrius's birthday party would have looked like if he was not at the labor camp)
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Jonas gets sick with severe scurvy and only survives because Andrius gives him a can of tomatoes to bring back his health. This event shows the poor conditions of the camp. (Image: What Jonas's symptoms would have been like from the scurvy)
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Everyone gathers in the bald man's hut to have a christmas celebration even though they find out that the bald man is Jewish. This event shows that the prisoners have not been "broken" like the NKVD want and that they still have hope. (Image: What lina's living room might have looked like if she was still in Lithuania)
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As Jonas fights off the scurvy Andrius give Jonas the lucky rock to give him hope and help him through. This event or even the rock itself is important because throughout the book it is a symbol of hope for multiple characters. (Image: The lucky rock of the box car princess)
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As she told Andrius before she had to leave on the boat it is her birthday. This is one of the events that bring hope to specific characters and in this case Lina in knowing that she was loved. (Image: What Lina's birthday party might have looked like if she had still been home)
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On their way to the artic circle the boats stop in Mackorov for the NKVD and prisoners to sleep. This helps the reader to track the travel of Lina and her company on their way to the Arctic circle. (Image: The boat Lina and her company may have been traveling)
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On the route to the Artic Circle via boat the boats are delayed for an unknown reason. This helps the reader to track the travel of Lina and her company on their way to the Arctic circle. (Image: boats that may have been used during the delay)
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The boats finally arrive in the small town in the Artic circle to drop off the NKVD and prisoners. This helps the reader to track the travel of Lina and her company on their way to the Arctic circle. (Image: A native near the camp in the arctic circle)
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The prisoners are split into 25 groups and told to build the NKVD shelter and then their own shelter with the scraps. This event shows the amount of people being "exiled" pretty much for having even the tiniest of international contact.
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The first bad snowstorm of the winter creeps up on the Lithuanians. This event is important because it shows the bad weather conditions the had to face in the Arctic circle.
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Kretzky the blond guard told Mrs. Vilkas that her husband Kostas had died in a prison camp. (Image: This is similar to a prison her father might have been killed in)
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Due to the poor living conditions disease starts to spread very quickly. This event makes the reader understand the unsanitary conditions of the labor camps. ( Image: what a lot of people in the camp looked like)
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As winter moves along slowly for the Vilkas's the weather worsens and gets colder and more violent. This event is important because it shows the bad weather conditions the had to face in the Arctic circle.
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After helping her children through so much Lina's mother dies from mal-nutrition and freezing to death. This event makes the reader understand how Mrs. Vilkas was starving herself for her kids and the reason they survived. (Image: what Lina and her mom might have looked like before they were taken prisoner)
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After her mother dies of malnutrition and fatigue Lina and her brother bury her at the top of a hill. This event is signifigant because it shows a mood of dread and remorse in the book to show the great losses everyone had. (Image: what Lina and Jonas might have used to bury their mother)
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With more mal-nutrition Jonas gets scurvy again but this time Andrius isn't there with the tomatoes. This event shows the bad conditions that they are facing in the camps.
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A doctor sent by Kretzky helps all the sick people and gives them supplies and turns thing around. This is important because the doctor is the one who turns things around at the end of the book and all because of Kretzky.
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After the months of the dark winter the sun finally decides to shine on the labor camp in the Artic circle
"I left the jurta to chop wood. I began my walk through the snow, five kilometers to the tree line. That's when I saw it. A tiny sliver of gold appeared between shades of gray on the horizon. I stared at the amber band of sunlight, smiling. The sun had returned." -
Near her mothers grave Lina burries a jar full of drawings and notes about her time in the labor camps. This is important because it is how the world found out about the horrible things that happened and kept the history. (Image: This is what the people who found the jar might have looked like while doing so)
