ANKA'S SECRET

“I stand still, the suitcase at my side. I still can’t find the strength to search for the cell they’ve allotted me. I look at the ocean and see only water sprawling out to the end of the infinite horizon and the unknown beyond it. I feel so alone, so small in the heart of this infinite space. The fear of what awaits me, the concerns I’ve tried to hide until now from Papa, who believes in me so much, they’re overwhelming me.” Tel-Aviv, the start of the 1940s. A young couple stands at the altar. A few friends and family members are gathered around them. Also taking part in the event are the spirits of family members who couldn’t make it to Israel and one unidentified guest. Anka was only ten when she joined the Hashomer Hatzair movement in Vilnius, falling in love with handsome instructor Abrasha, but to her disappointment, he left for Israel. Years later, they reunite in Tel Aviv during the 1930s, and then the real drama begins, with a surprising conclusion. Tamar Orenstein, born in Tel Aviv and currently living in Jerusalem, is a graduate of the Faculty of Engineering in Florence, Italy. For 35 years, she worked in the field of computers, all the while writing short stories published on social media. Anka’s Secret is her first novel. Tamar’s inspiration to write it came from her parents’ true story and those of many cousins who left Eastern Europe on the eve of World War II.