Andra Putnis
Stories My Grandmothers Didn’t Tell Me
Two women's journeys from war-torn Europe to a new life in Australia.
Allen & Unwin, 2024
When she breaks an unspoken family code not to dig too deep into the past, Andra is plunged into the bleak world of the Soviet and Nazi occupations of Latvia in World War II, and secret lives of her grandmothers.
As children, we'd sneak into Grandma's bedroom on secret missions. Her cupboard was filled with old fur coats, strange woven folk costumes and small mountains of glowing amber. We were half-scared, made breathless by our discoveries, but knew we hadn't seen it all, hadn't understood what was really hidden there.
When she breaks an unspoken family code not to dig too deeply into the past, Andra is plunged into the bleak world of the Soviet and Nazi occupations of Latvia in World War II, and the secret lives of her grandmothers.
Teenage Aline is separated from her parents and sent to serve in Germany's war-time labour force. With the much-feared Soviet army on the doorstep, pregnant Milda embarks on a desperate winter escape with her young son. They each face heart-wrenching decisions and endure years of hardship before finally voyaging to Australia. Among the tight-knit Latvian migrant community, Aline and Milda forge new lives. But even there, reminders of wartime scandal and grief threaten to drag them under.
About the Author
Andra Putnis is an Australian author with Latvian heritage working to tell powerful stories to help us better understand our world and each other. Her debut book, Stories My Grandmothers Didn’t Tell Me, reveals the incredible tales of how her two Latvian grandmothers lived through the terror of the Second World War and survived to immigrate to Australia. Against the backdrop of our increasingly uncertain world, the book delves into why we need the stories of our grandmothers to better understand where we come from and who we want to be. Andra completed a Bachelor of Arts / Law at the Australian National University majoring in History in 2001 and is finalising a Masters Degree specialising in qualitative research and storytelling. She lives in Canberra on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country with her partner and two children.
