Yes, it's full title is 'The Endless Steppe ~ Siberian Exile' or, in some editions 'Growing up in Siberia', by Esther Hautzig (real name Esther Rudomin). It is used a lot in schools as it is a strong, true story of 'survival against the odds' etc. Esther lived for the first ten years of her life in Vilna, Poland, but in 1941, following the Russian occupation of the area, she was taken with her mother, grandmother and many others to work in a gypsum mine in Siberia. The book tells the story of the next five years, as she struggles to keep her family together and survive the dreadful arctic winters. It has been printed many times, in hard-back and paper-back, with a variety of pictures on the cover, and has been translated into several languages. I think it first appeared in the 1960's. In schools it is often a reader for mid-adolescents, who can relate to Esther and her troubles. A well-known book ~ I am sorry to hear it was in the garbage ! I hope you rescued it!!
