Day: July 30, 2021

I feel like I am getting repetitive, but I find historical fiction to be one of the most plentiful genres of books.

Not only are there multitudes of time periods and eras to choose from, but each one of those also has unlimited stories that can be researched and told. It’s a virtually never-ending supply of storylines.

This, in turn, means that there is always something new that can be explored, even in an era that has been used extensively as a setting.

A case in point is this book.

As always, you can read the blurb or other reviews for the gist of the story. What I found most fascinating about it was the level of detail about what happened to the Polish people after the Germans invaded in WWII.

While I thought Isla was an interesting character, there didn’t seem to be a whole lot to her other than as a vessel to get to the story at hand, which really starts when she sees a photo of her grandfather dressed in a German military uniform.

(By the way, you can read between the lines on what the military uniform really is – but I’m writing it specifically vague because I have had reviews censored recently for mentioning certain words in my reviews. Even though that’s what they were called in the 1940s and up until this year, for some reason, they are a bad word that triggers flags now).

But I digress.  

Isla’s journey to find out the truth behind the photo makes up the plotline that is then enhanced by her encounters with various people who fill in the blanks to her grandfather’s story.

The storytelling is unique, because it is a mixture of letters (“read” in real-time), diary entries (read as flashbacks), and personal memories (read in flashbacks and as a narrative). While it sounds like this may be a mishmash of styles, it is very effective.

I liked how Isla discovered each section of the past. It painted a whole picture of her grandfather because it came from him (in some forms) with others’ memories as well.

The details are rich and plentiful. One of the things that stuck out the most is the mental strain that was put on the people of Poland, specifically the young men. They were indeed between a rock and a hard place.

One thing that really stuck out to me was how the author used the colors of the rainbow to describe certain memories that stood out: the blue associated with Zofia, the red of the blood spilled in war, etc. That was also effective.

I also was struck by the thought that our memories can be demons that make us afraid to remember – but when faced with them later, they can actually show strength and resilience. It’s all a matter of perspective.

Oh, and Isla’s purpose in the story becomes clear at the end. It’s a clever twist, and I appreciated it very much. I would definitely recommend this book for the insight it provides and the rich history it recounts.

Author Bio:
Carly Schabowski worked as a journalist in both North Cyprus and Australia before returning to Oxford, where she studied for an MA and then a PhD in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University. Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students.