Through atmospheric descriptions and vivid portraits, When Echoes Speak offers glimpses into exotic worlds, taking the reader from a drab displaced persons camp, to the throbbing rhythms of Rio’s frenzied Carnival, to heartrending encounters in Ethiopia. In looking back, Dag Scheer discovers intricate and rich patterns in her life and weaves together the connecting threads.

A blend of memoir and cultural exploration, When Echoes Speak distills the defining moments of an unusual life. In August of 1944, when Dag was five, she and her family fled Latvia to escape Soviet occupation. After five harsh years in a displaced persons camp in Germany, the family settled in Cleveland, Ohio. Growing up, Dag was caught in a painful pull between her Latvian roots and her new life in America.

Determined to find her own path, she left home to teach in Libya where she met Stuart Scheer, a young charismatic doctor. They explored Libya’s scorching desert terrain together, and their intense relationship deepened. After they married, Stuart’s work took them to eight different countries across the globe. In recounting the frustrations and delights of each new location and its unique culture, Dag probes her inner transformations. Ultimately, the shifting perspective of being perpetually out of place helped her find a sense of self.