Yosl's childhood in Krynki wasn't idyllic. His family endured bitter poverty and forced and loveless marriages; his father was often absent.

In this memoir of his childhood, Yosl describes everyday life in the shtetl, its inhabitants and their idiosyncrasies. Young, impressionable and headstrong, Yosl witnessed pivotal events within Judaism and the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th century. His first-hand accounts of the rise of the anti-tsarist and labor movements, and the often-harsh conflicts between different Jewish belief systems, are detailed and riveting.

Set within his own family, Yosl's narrative describes their unique and sometimes conflicting personalities, their struggles, and their whole-hearted and life-threatening participation in the anti-tsarist and Jewish labor movements.

This remarkable book is now available in English translation by Beate Schützmann-Krebs.