It’s World War II and Ludwika Gierz, a young Polish woman, is forced to leave her family and go to Nazi Germany to work for an SS officer. There, she must walk a tightrope, learning to live as a second-class citizen in a world where one wrong word could spell disaster and every day could be her last. Based on real events, this is a story of hope amid despair, of love amid loss . . . ultimately, it’s one woman’s story of survival.
Editorial Review:
"This is the best kind of fiction—it’s based on the real life. Ludwika’s story highlights the magnitude of human suffering caused by WWII, transcending multiple generations and many nations.
WWII left no one unscarred, and Ludwika's life illustrates this tragic fact. But she also reminds us how bright the human spirit can shine when darkness falls in that unrelenting way it does during wartime.
This book was a rollercoaster ride of action and emotion, skilfully told by Mr. Fischer, who brought something fresh and new to a topic about which thousands of stories have already been told."
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Chapter 1: October 1939
There was a loaded silence over Przedborów. On a sunny October’s afternoon the Polish village and its surroundings should be heaving with harvesting activities and Ludwika Gierz should be looking after the livestock, followed closely around by her five-year-old daughter Irena and maybe some other kids whose parents couldn’t look after them during the busy season.
Children liked Ludwika for her cheerful attitude, the many songs she knew and the enthusiastic way she would sing them. She didn’t need to ‘look after’ the little ones to keep them under control like other parents did. She could keep doing her chores and often even found a voluntary helping hand from her following, which made her the perfect nanny.
She was 22, playful and always in good spirits. Her infectious mood made her the pied piper of the village and commanded children’s attention effortlessly. Other parents were in awe and frequently took advantage of this amazing talent.
Today, the streets of the sleepy border village were almost deserted. Many had fled from here during the recent German invasion and had tried their luck further east, only to witness the entire country fall into the hands of the aggressors a few weeks later.
This being harvest time, farmers couldn’t as easily abandon their homes to seek safety with relatives in homes away from the border, so many stayed. They thought the country would only need to defend its borders for a short time until the powers who had guaranteed to protect it could mobilise their troops and counterattack the German army. A multi-front war and foreign troops on its own soil invading from France would soon make Hitler see sense and withdraw. That had been the hope.
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German
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Already translated.
Translated by Vera Filthaut
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Italian
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Already translated.
Translated by Francesca Cozzitorto
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Portuguese
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Already translated.
Translated by Cibelle Roberta Marques Ravaglia
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by María Paula Estévez
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