This book contains analyses and case studies regarding the former political prisoners' and their families' fates impacted by the Communist dictatorships in Central and Eastern Europe (Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Albania). The focus of research is extended from the individuals to the social context in which they functioned, as they were actors in flawed systems which were ready to harshly limit not only their actions but also of those closest to them. The case studies trace disruptions and distortions of broken lives along with strategies to reclaim and restore an apparent 'normalcy'. Cosmin Budeanca, PhD., is expert at The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile. Dalia Bathory, PhD., is expert at The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile.