(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) EINPresswire/ -- Spanning three generations, four continents, and three wars, Susanna: Journey To My Dream is a sweeping saga of perseverance that follows one family's astonishing rise from persecution to the realization of the American dream.

The book traces a journey from tiny shtetls in a Russian settlement to war-torn Europe, through the struggles of starting anew in Israel, years in Africa, and finally arriving at Lady Liberty's shores. It is the true story of a girl from a small Soviet town who would one day become a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

Dr. Susan Levit's autobiography opens with her grandparents' courtship before descending into a harrowing experience with the advent of World War II, where young makeshift soldiers who had never held a rifle in their hands, some of whom didn't receive one, take up arms. Two of her grandmother's sons perished, and a third was shellshocked and blinded in one eye. Her father emerged as a war hero who saved thousands of lives, led a military hospital, and received numerous military honors. It is an introduction that sets the stage for the astonishing tale of perseverance to come.

Her young life unfolded under Soviet surveillance in then-Czernowitz, where, against all odds, the city preserved its non-Soviet identity. Dr. Levit's book reflects on her personal experience and family history, contrasted starkly against the struggles of the time.

“Despite all the tragedies she had lived through, [my Grandma] remained strong, generous and loving-the glue that kept the family together,” writes Dr. Levit.

She stages readers in the tactile essence of her travels, beyond historical context, be it strolling by the magnificent façade of the Drama Theater in then-Czernowitz or the Carpathian Mountains, which Dr. Levit describes as“paradise on earth.” It is in these lovingly recounted details and reflections on her family that the book connects universally with readers. Dr. Levit's journey is a thrilling and astonishing one, grounded always in these human moments.

“For me, these were the happiest of days. In the early morning, when the sun had barely risen across the horizon, I threw on my warm coat. Over it, I wrapped an Orenburg shawl made of the thinnest down, tying it crosswise over my chest and back. Shielded from the cold by my 'armor,' I walked to my grandmother's house through the newly fallen snow,” writes Dr. Levit.

It is an intergenerational line of those persevering in the face of hardship, celebrating the moments of beauty in family and in the world against oppressive Soviet occupation and the NKVD (The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs). She recounts her love of music and literature as well as her father's stories.

Later, her husband Josef tells their love story. While traveling abroad, Josef hears about Susan in a single mention of a letter and writes a poem for a girl he's never seen.

“I had seen you before-you had come in a dream,” writes Josef.

Susanna: Journey To My Dream carries readers through a life defined by endurance, courage, and boundless spirit.

From surviving the horrors of Communism and the Yom Kippur War to witnessing a coup d'état in Africa, Dr. Levit's life is a story of resilience, one of a woman who never ceased to dream. Her tale, which begins in the small Soviet town of her birth and ends with one of America's highest honors, is a testament to human will, rising, rebuilding, and triumphing against all odds. It is a journey that feels at once deeply personal and universally inspiring.

Her new book is now available on Amazon.

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