Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Akazvarwa mumhuri yechiJudha muUkraine, yaimbova chikamu cheUmambo hweRussia, Grossman akadzidziswa kuva injinjiniya wemakemikari paMoscow State University, achizopiwa zita remadunhurirwa rokuti "Vasya-khimik" ("Vasya the Chemist") nemhaka yokushingaira kwake somudzidzi. Paakapedza kudzidza akatora basa muStalino (zvino Donetsk) muDonets Basin. Muma1930 akachinja basa. Akatanga kunyora nguva yakazara uye akabudisa nyaya pfupi dzinoverengeka nemabhuku anoverengeka. Pakutanga kweHondo Yenyika Yechipiri, akabatwa semunyori wehondo nepepanhau reRed Army "Krasnaya Zvezda"; akanyora nhoroondo dzekutanga dzehondo dzeMoscow, Stalingrad, Kursk
, neBerlin. Mishumo yaGrossman yokuona musasa wokuparadza weNazi, pashure pokuwanikwa kweTreblinka, yaiva pakati pemashoko okutanga omutori wenhau pamusoro pemusasa wokuuraya weNazi.