Although almost 2000 years separates us from Ruso, his problems are familiar: The bitchy ex-wife who never thought he'd amount to much; a lifestyle lived paycheck to paycheck while all the time wondering where his life went off track;
squalid quarters and a roommate who's a slob; and endless bureaucratic infighting.
There, Helga continued to write with astonishing insight about her daily life: the
squalid living
quarters, the cruel rationing of food, and the executions — as well as the moments of joy and hope that persisted in even the worst conditions.