Into Exile: a Life Story of War and Peace

“The road in front of our house, which was usually boring and barely used, was crowded with people and vehicles moving towards the harbor. The procession included bicycles, open lorries, horse drawn wagons, and pushcarts, all keeping pace with people struggling with heavy suitcases, cardboard boxes, prams, and strollers loaded with bundles. The bundles were made of sheets, tablecloths, blankets, and scarves. Some bundles were too large to carry, some loads too heavy for the people pushing and pulling them. One man was balancing an iron stove on his bicycle; another was carrying a grandfather clock on his back. One man had a suitcase so heavy he had to stop and rest after every few steps. Small children sat on top of the overloaded carts and prams, and the bigger children trotted alongside, with their own little bundles or bags.“

“My fur coat was too tight under the armpits, too hot for September. Stuffed under it were two dresses and three sets of underwear. Then I whined some more when I saw Mother unlock the Blue Room cabinet and remove her own bisque doll Maria. She placed it carefully into the bottom of her suitcase. At that time I did not know then that Maria was meant for me, for when I was older. I still have Maria here in Florida.”

And then we were ready.

“We joined some of the last refugees still able to leave Estonia on the evening of 23 September 1944.”

Elin Toona arrived in England in March 1948, three months before her eleventh birthday. It was a time in England when every child had to pass the 11+ examination in order to continue a formal education. As Elin did not speak English, the exam was never mentioned. After almost five years in an English orphanage, undergoing training to become a domestic servant, Elin made sure she did not pass that exam and was put to work in a textile mill at age fifteen. She took noncredit evening classes that included elocution and when she felt it was time to move on, she auditioned for a drama school in London and became, for a short time, an actress in B-films and on television. In the early 1960's Elin moved on again and became one of the youngest Estonian writers in exile.

She has published seven books in Estonian including the biography of her grandfather, the Estonian poet Ernst Enno. For her Estonian books she received the "H. Visnapuu Award" from the World Association of Estonians as well as the "Ennu" and "Lauri" awards. She received awards from the National League of American Pen Women for short stories and photojournalism. In 2004 she was presented with the Fifth Class Order of the Star Medal from the President of Estonia for her efforts to promote Estonia through her writings. Elin’s English language junior book, In Search of Coffee Mountains was published by Thomas Nelson in 1977 in the United States and 1979 by Penguin/Kestrel in the UK.

“Into Exile” is a book that reads like an action novel, and, being full of unexpected occurrences and danger, tells the story of a family while at the same time depicts the emotional losses, robbery and re-gaining of dignity, difficult choices and endeavors to find a home and identity in a situation where homeland has become but an unreachable myth.

The book is an excellent gift item for those interested in the topics of Estonia and the Baltic countries, but preferring to read in English.