If not for the horses

the long version

"A young boy and his family are uprooted from their farm in free Lithuania, forcibly resettled in another country by Adolf Hitler, and then uprooted again by the advances of Stalin's Russian Army. After being shuttled back and forth between the two dictators, he and his family plan and orchestrate their escape via covered wagon while under siege. All the while the youngster, Joe Klemm, does not lose his optimism and love of life. This narrative vividly describes his story of survival and flight to the west, his life in West Germany, his immigration to America, and finally how he returned to Germany as a tank driver with the U.S. Army. The theme, "life is great" permeates this narrative."--