Must Stay Alive

The story by Lyudmila Nikolskaya tells about several days in the life of a girl named Maya. But what days those are! Winter of 1941, in besieged Leningrad, cold, hunger, death, and treachery reign. And Maya is only 11 years old, remaining a child even in this monstrous time. Lyudmila Nikolskaya, who herself survived the siege, writes primarily about life, no matter how scary it may be. Maya argues with her mother, laughs with the neighbor boy, warms up a stray kitten, cares for the neighbors, and continues to live with all her might.