Wasyl Andreievych Kushnir was born in Ukraine in 1923, and was witness to the tragedies and horrors of the early years of collectivization under the Soviet regime in his homeland. The story of his life, which extended almost a century, is told here by his son Andrei in his father's voice.

This account follows one man's journey through the 20th Century's Communist experiment in Soviet Ukraine, the Second World War, and the struggles and successes of immigrants in the United States in the second half of the century. It is a tale of war, murder, famine, suffering, danger, and, ultimately, happiness.