To the Bomb and Back

Between 1939 and 1945, some 80,000 Finnish children were sent to Sweden, Denmark, and elsewhere, ostensibly to protect them from danger while their nation s soldiers fought superior Soviet and German forces. This was the largest of all of World War II children s transports, and although acknowledged today as a great social-historical mistake, it has received surprisingly little attention. This is the first English-language account of Finland s war children and their experiences, told through the survivors own words. Supported by an extensive introduction, a bibliography of secondary sources, and over two dozen photographs, this book testifies to the often-lifelong traumas endured by youthful survivors of war.