My parents' determination to survive gives strength to our spirits. Their laughter echoes through the generations, and I see shadows of their gentle smiles on the faces of their great-grandchildren. The blood of our ancestry forever runs through our hearts, and their songs give peace to our souls. We cannot simply disappear, one by one, but must live on in these pages forever. Without our roots we die.

A story of strength and tenacity, war and peace, The Empty Sleeve is a heartfelt memoir by the youngest daughter of Latvian immigrants.

The author begins her memoir with tales of her parents growing up in the hidden gem of Latvia, a place that for many years was not recognized as a sovereign nation. When WWII breaks out, Germany and Russia battle over the small and defenseless Baltic States, bringing sorrow and wartime hardships.

Amid personal tragedy, several years of displacement in Germany, and immigration to the United States, readers get a firsthand and personal look at the courage and strength of one family and their ability to develop roots to grow and flourish in the United States.