Our fathers would have praised our bravery (had they lived) as would our sons if we would ever tell them. But to speak of war diminishes its magnitude. Language cannot accurately describe the terror of enemy fire, tanks approaching, grenades, land mines. Words tarnish the already-clouded moments, unreal.
Single file to the train after being tied helpless in front of one’s wife and children, the ultimate purloining: of a man’s stance, ability for action. Cut those moments out and bury them — to be excavated and relived only privately.
Rip the pages out of Helcia’s dictionary and set them on fire. The way books claim certain atrocities never happened.
(from Maps and Shadows, pages 103-104 in the uncorrected galley)
Maps and Shadows is a soon-to-be released novel by poet Krysia Jopek that tells the story of a Polish family living on land that once was part of Russia, which was given to the father, Andrzej, by the Polish government as a reward for serving in the Polish-Bolshevik War. The Soviets invaded the eastern part of the country shortly after World War II began in September 1939, and in early 1940, the family was ordered out of their home and deported to a labor camp in Siberia. More than 1.5 million Polish civilians made the journey described in Maps and Shadows, and Jopek aims to bring this little known piece of history to life.
Each chapter is told from a different point of view, and Jopek gives voice to Andrzej, his wife Zofia, their daughter Helcia, and their eldest son, Henryk. (Their youngest, Józef, was only four when the family was deported and too young to remember the details.) Before each chapter, there is a passage of lyrical prose that emphasizes the internal thoughts and emotions of the characters (see the passage quoted above), and each chapter concludes with poems written by Helcia in the labor camp on scraps of paper torn from a beloved dictionary, which she brought with her even though she was told to grab only the necessities.
Maps and Shadows is not a traditional novel, as Jopek draws heavily on her family’s history. There is no author note, but there are black and white photographs of the family, and she thanks her father, Henryk, and her Aunt Helen (Helcia) in the acknowledgements for recalling the horrible details of their experiences during the war. Moreover, despite the use of poetical language here and there, the book reads like a memoir. There are no descriptions to set the scene, no real character development. It reads as though you are sitting down with the family and listening to their stories; it’s all telling and no showing.
However, the message of the book is an important one and made it easy for me to overlook any issues with the structure and writing. Jews were not the only ones deported during World War II, and the Nazis were not the only ones committing atrocities. The Siberian labor camps were brutal because of the back-breaking labor, the lack of food, and the severe cold. The family endured this and much more, and Jopek makes you feel their desperation as they join the military or travel to Africa for shelter and education. By writing the family’s story from four different points of view, the deportees are no longer seen in the abstract, but as real people who suffered horribly and survived.
Disclosure: I received a copy of Maps and Shadows from Aquila Polonica for review purposes. I am an Amazon associate.
© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
Sounds interesting…I wonder how the author used their poetic skills to write the book or whether that even came into play.
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You can borrow my copy if you’d like. The poetic aspect of the novel is seen in the passages before each chapter, and in Helcia’s poems at the end of each chapter.
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There is always the idea of Jews being the persecuted while we tend to forget the millions of others who were killed andpersecuted as well. I did not even know about the Polish side of the story. Thank you for this post.
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You’re welcome. I think it’s important for all the different aspects of war to be brought to light. One can only hope these stories will help humanity learn something.
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I saw this on GoodReads and was intrigued — but having done Heidegger’s Glasses I was sure I could take mroe Holocaust so soon. Sounds very impactful — I’ll add to my 2011 TBR!
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It definitely is hard to read books like this back to back. I’m finding that out as I try to finish the Vietnam reading challenge.
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That is sure easily forgotten that they sent so many others there like romani people, gays, just everyone that was not right to them. So the book does sound interesting
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And most people don’t realize that Stalin killed a lot of people, too. It wasn’t just Hitler.
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Hmm, while this book sounds like it might be a difficult one it does sound like it’s a story worth reading. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
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It definitely is worth checking out. I only had minor issues with the structure of the novel, but in the end, they power of the story offsets those.
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This does sound interesting and the fact that it reads like a memoir really intrigues me.
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I think you should give this one a try, given that you read a lot of memoirs.
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I’m completely drawn to this, obviously. As you might remember, my husband’s grandfather fought for the Bolsheviks (against his will, but still). He never received any benefit from this effort, except for a bad case of typhus, and he was never kicked out of his home. But he saw alot of action and suffered dearly for it. Thanks for the review…I’m going to have to chase it down.
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I’m looking forward to your thoughts. I knew you’d be interested in it.
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I like the fact that this is written from four perspectives. Sounds like a really good but sad book. Wonderful review, Anna.
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Thanks, Suko! The four perspectives really enable the reader to follow the different family members as their journey isn’t always taken together.
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This one sounds wonderful Anna. Thanks for blogging about it.
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Thanks for stopping by, Diane!
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Just wanted to say I have posted my first giveaway and would love if you could enter as well!
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Thanks, Mystica!
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There was so much suffering to go around in that war — very sad.
Great review!
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Thanks! I have yet to read a war story without suffering. Makes you wonder why wars continue to happen if we know how horrible they are.
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There are so many perspectives, so many horrors because of the war.
I am intrigued, thanks for bringing this to my attention. Love the book cover.
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Hope you get a chance to read it.
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This one sounds really good too. It seems different but it sounds like it works really well.
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Overall, it’s a good read. I think since it’s supposed to be a novel, the poetic parts should have been more of the book, rather than just a passage and have it read like a memoir. But it was still informative and worth reading.
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This novel sounds really good Anna – another important one to read. I really like the cover – very intriguing.
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It is a fitting cover. It continues on the back with pictures of the family.
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What an interesting book. You have the most interesting books.
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Thanks, Esme. I’m lucky to be offered great-sounding books.
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This sounds like a novel I want to read!
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I hope you get your hands on a copy!
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What a beautiful cover and the inside sounds truly amazing!
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I hope you give it a try.
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[…] Pony Cart by Maud Hart Lovelace 108. Carney’s House Party by Maud Hart Lovelace 109. Maps and Shadows by Krysia Jopek 110. Pemberley Ranch by Jack Caldwell 111. The Things They Carried by Tim […]
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Thanks, Anna, for including Krysia Jopek’s debut novel “Maps and Shadows,” based on her family’s harrowing life during World War II, on your list of best books in 2010!
Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2011!
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Hi Debra, I included the book in my Read in 2010 list. Happy new year to you as well!
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Thank you to all the reviewers of the advance copies of Maps and Shadows. The book is now available on amazon and all the major book stores’ websites. I’m eager for this novel based on my family’s experiences to find more readers, for this piece of history to be told.
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Thanks for dropping by, Krysia. I think it’s great that you’re raising awareness about this important time in history.
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Great review!
My (much shorter) review is posted here, on Rose City Reader.
I’d like to add a link to you review on mine? If that is OK with you, please leave me a comment on my post letting me know. That way, I am sure to see it as I will get an email notification.
Thanks!
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Thanks! Going to check out your review now!
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