Escape

Escape is a very obvious theme in this book. A huge portion of the story is dedicated to the fact that Volodya is a refusenik. He spent seventeen years trying to escape from Russia to go to Israel, but the government kept denying him. He protested, and these protests led him to numerous times in prison, harsh living conditions, and years in exile. He and his wife were not the only refuseniks in Russia, and their protests helped open the eyes of the world to their plight. Individuals from other countries tried to help them escape.

Escape was also seen as a blessing, particularly in the first part of the book. It is unknown to many how Solomon escaped the purges in which many Jews in similar position were eradicated. When he was arrested for having a printing press and was sentenced to die, the law changed on...