Part History and part autobiography, Walking Since Daybreak tells the tragic story of the Baltic nations before, during, and after World War II. Personal stories of the survival or destruction of Modris Eksteins's family members lend an intimate dimension to this vast narrative of those millions who have surged back and forth across the lowlands bordering the Baltic Sea.

As Eksteins's two-pronged narrative approaches its huge climax, the reader learns yet again that in historical catastrophes blame and praise are nearly impossible to assign.