This is the biography of a Jewish woman who was born and lived in the Soviet Union under the Communist regime from the 1940s to the 1970s. The author describes her childhood spent growing up in communal flats in Odessa before and after World War II, during which she and her family were evacuated to Uzbekistan. She provides detailed descriptions of her family and neighbors, and the terrible living conditions faced by all of them in the communal flats as they struggle with health problems and the everyday chores of life such as having sufficient clothing, food, heating, electricity, toilet amenities, and other living conveniences that we take for granted.