Part I, Chapter 8, The Year 1937 Begins Summary and Analysis

In Part I, Chapter 8, protests and government crackdowns are in full swing. Several family friends have disappeared. Ginzburg's eldest son, Alyosha, is sick. She and Pavel decide to take their family away for the school holidays to Astafyevo, a former prince's estate. It is the last moment of relative peace the family enjoys. Ginzburg reveals that nine-tenths of the people at the New Year's 1937 gathering at Astafyevo will be consumed by the coming purge.

Ginzburg begins to realize that the arrests and accusations are becoming more and more widespread. In a desperate attempt to get away from the horrors around them, the family goes on vacation for the holidays. The ultimate reach of the coming storm will wipe out ninety percent of the people on vacation with them at the New...