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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
I found myself crying, laughing and YELLING IN ANGER at various times during this book. I loved it.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ok book but found the characters shallow and hard to connect with. Guessed Aurek wasn’t Silvanas son early on in the book
An interesting book that certainly doesn't shy away from the horrors of world war ii. But the writing was hokey at times and the characters didnt always ring true. The hole thing paled in comparison to what was my next read, another post world war ii book called Next to Love.
emotional
sad
This is the story of a Polish family, Janusz, his wife Silvana and their sone Aurek, torn apart by from each other at the start of World War II. Required by law to join the Polish army, Janusz is on a train that is attacked by the Luftwaffe on his way to join his regiment. He hides, injured, in a ditch, and the train leaves without him. He ends up living alone in a small cabin in the woods, until he is warned that the enemy is approaching and he is not longer safe there. He leaves, and stays in a variety of safe houses until he finally makes it to England.
Silvana and Aurek are living in a apartment in Warsaw until German soldiers are billeted there. One of them rapes Silvana and she takes her son and leaves, heading for a nearby forest where they spend the rest of the war living.
At the end of the war, Silvana and Aurek are located in a refugee camp and travel to England to join Janusz, who has been living there for a number of years now, and needless to say, has cheated on Silvana, not knowing if she were dead or alive.
The story of their wartime experiences and the reuniting in England afterwards is told in alternating chapters, each telling their own story. These are harrowing experiences, yet I never really connected to either character. On the whole, I was very disappointed by this book and although I think the writing was wonderful but the story and characters left a lot to be desired.
Silvana and Aurek are living in a apartment in Warsaw until German soldiers are billeted there. One of them rapes Silvana and she takes her son and leaves, heading for a nearby forest where they spend the rest of the war living.
At the end of the war, Silvana and Aurek are located in a refugee camp and travel to England to join Janusz, who has been living there for a number of years now, and needless to say, has cheated on Silvana, not knowing if she were dead or alive.
The story of their wartime experiences and the reuniting in England afterwards is told in alternating chapters, each telling their own story. These are harrowing experiences, yet I never really connected to either character. On the whole, I was very disappointed by this book and although I think the writing was wonderful but the story and characters left a lot to be desired.
This historical novel focuses on the lives of two Polish immigrants as they attempt to build a new life in England after the Second World War. Janusz, who is a Polish soldier who has made his way to England, finds out that his wife, Silvana and his child, Aurek, have survived the horrors in Warsaw and are in a Red Cross Camp. He reunites with them in England and this tells of their struggles to adapt to each other again and life after the deprivation they have suffered.
I did enjoy this and read it in two sittings. I liked the narrative style which switched from past tense (during the war) to present tense. It portrayed a realistic picture of post-war Britain such as rationing and the daily life. It also illustrated the difficulties immigrants can have in a new country and the prejudices they can be faced with. It was well-written and heartfelt at times, in particular I empathised with young Aurek. However, the main characters, Janusz and Silvana are not always that likable and it emerges they both have secrets to hide which became a little clichéd.
Overall though I would definitely recommend this if you are interested in this period in history or if you are a fan of historical fiction in general.
I did enjoy this and read it in two sittings. I liked the narrative style which switched from past tense (during the war) to present tense. It portrayed a realistic picture of post-war Britain such as rationing and the daily life. It also illustrated the difficulties immigrants can have in a new country and the prejudices they can be faced with. It was well-written and heartfelt at times, in particular I empathised with young Aurek. However, the main characters, Janusz and Silvana are not always that likable and it emerges they both have secrets to hide which became a little clichéd.
Overall though I would definitely recommend this if you are interested in this period in history or if you are a fan of historical fiction in general.
At the beginning, I wasn't sure if I was going to really like this one...it seemed so dark. But war is dark, and horrible, and unimaginable. This is a compelling story of a Polish couple trying to survive during WWII and the story of the same couple trying to put their lives together after the war. It really did grab me. I think the style the author chose of going back and forth, not only between the major characters, but between time periods, threw me a bit at first but ended up being incredibly effective. Had she chosen a straight time line, the story would have lost much of its emotional punch; it would have been focused more on what happened than what happened to the people that these things happened to. This would be a good book club read.