Adler examines how Polish Jews who fled the Soviet Union early after the German occupation of Poland related to themselves afterward. She defines three groups among these Jews: those who see themselves as Holocaust survivors; those who do not; and others who are unsure of their identity as survivors. In some cases, the apparent uncertainty of some survivors regarding their identity results form the ignorance or confusion of the interviewers; they did not allow the survivors to express their thoughts unimpeded. This leads Adler to argue for reconsidering how survivor testimonies are read and understood