Author and psychotherapist Anna Goodwin sheds light on a forgotten chapter of 20th-century history with her gripping new book, By Force and Fear: A Stolen Homeland. Drawing from the true stories passed down by her father, the book captures the terrifying upheaval of the Russian Revolution through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy who became a man overnight.
Set in Southern Russia near the Caspian Sea in 1918, the story begins as an army of a thousand Tatars thunders down the Caucasus Mountains, devastating peaceful German villages. In mere hours, young Chnals is forced to assume responsibility for his younger siblings, his childhood stripped away by violence and fear. What follows is a powerful and personal journey of flight, survival, faith, and the pursuit of liberty.
This historically grounded narrative explores the raw cost of freedom in a land torn by revolution and anarchy. With the Czar dethroned and communism on the rise, families like Chnals’s faced persecution, displacement, and death. Through running, hiding, crying, and moments of unexpected laughter, Chnals’s story reveals not just the pain of exile, but the hope that sustains those who dare to dream of a better life.
The book is also a poignant memoir. Inspired by her father's haunting memories, Anna Goodwin reconnects with her family's past, delving into the long-lasting effects of trauma and displacement, both on those who endure it and the generations that follow.
Reviewer J. Noyes writes, “Anna Unger-Goodwin does a masterful job of capturing her father and his family’s harrowing escape from Russia during the Revolution. Danger was ever-present and survival was never assured, even as acts of kindness aided their escape… A memorable and thought-provoking read.”
By Force and Fear: A Stolen Homeland is a powerful testament to the endurance of faith, the cost of silence, and the legacy of those who dared to resist tyranny.
The book is now available on Kindle and in paperback on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Get a powerful glimpse into By Force and Fear: A Stolen Homeland through its official book trailer. Feel the urgency, the emotion, and the hope that drives this unforgettable true story.
About the Author
Anna Goodwin grew up on a farm in rural Manitoba, Canada, the daughter of German-Russian immigrants whose lives were shaped by war, displacement, and resilience. She holds a Master of Science degree in Child and Family Psychotherapy from the University of Maryland. With a distinguished career spanning clinical practice and academia, Anna developed a large private psychotherapy practice in Montana and served as an assistant professor at two universities.
She has presented widely at national conferences, conducted workshops, and delivered keynote addresses, often focusing on trauma and post-traumatic stress issues deeply personal to her family’s history. Over half her clients dealt with PTSD, and through her clinical insight, she brings a profound psychological depth to her writing.
Now retired, Anna continues to write books that bridge history, memory, and healing. By Force and Fear: A Stolen Homeland is her most personal work to date, an homage to the enduring spirit of her father and a call to never forget the true cost of freedom.
Media Contact
Company Name: Literary Titan
Contact Person: Anna Unger Goodwin
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: https://amzn.to/4neEx5g
