*Sections written in red contain spoilers.*
Overall Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I finished reading this book in about two days, and it was pretty amazing. It came out not long ago in January 2024, and it tells the untold story of one of the many heroes during WWII and quite well too. Written in the format of a story, it was much more interesting to me than it would have been if it was in a textbook (despite slightly mechanical writing) and for that I must applaud Elizabeth Barry White and Joanna Silwa.
Summary
This book takes place during Nazi rule in Poland and the story focuses on a young woman named Pepi Spinner who is a professor of philosophy before being persecuted. When the situation in Lwow starts getting bad, she manages to escape with her husband through the help of some friends and she assumes a new identity: Countess Janina Suchodolska. Under this new life, Janina is able to provide aid such as food and medicine to thousands of Polish POWs and laborers and work as a spy through an underground network.
What Did I Dislike?
Slow Plot - Obviously, this is not a middle-grade fantasy novel but a historical biography - still, the writing can seem detached and mechanical in places, which for some people may mean that it fails to draw them into the story emotionally. There was not a lot of building upon what the characters were like, what the world was like, etc.: so in short, it had very minimal world-building and elaboration in those areas. Personally, I didn't mind this because of all the context we already have of life and the people in that era, but the book somewhat fails to provide context and get readers interested in the content.
What Did I Like?
Attention to Detail - This book was incredibly well-researched, and while reading it, you can see that there truly was a lot of thought put into it. There are SO many details that it is guaranteed to get you confused if you think about it too much. The glossary and bibliography is a good 50 pages long, at least for the version I read, but I'm not complaining. I think that shows all the time that went into the book. I like that it gives us as many numbers, names, and tidbits of information as possible. It is through this that we are able to understand the full extent of the impact Janina made and keep records of the people and camps throughout history.
Photographs/Art - I know this is a pretty minor detail, but I like that there were photographs included at the end of the book, as well as the context in which they were taken. It meant that I didn't have to research it myself, and it bought together the book with a sense of realism. And, I really like the cover art, which I put a picture of down below. I think it's not only informative, but also aesthetically pleasing. The title also definitely catches your eye.
Morals/Themes - This book's material was largely based off of Janina's accounts of the things that she experienced and what observations she made, and one of these recurring notes is on the nature of human behavior and how humans are induced to act in times crisis. It describes ideas of how there can be hope and humanity that coexists with brutality and selfishness. The book states how it's really impossible to know how one would act in such situations without really being there, which I think introduces important ideas of perspective and psychology. While this is a minor point in the book, it would definitely be interesting to think about and see it delved into.
If you are interested in the stories of historical figures, or even just the WW11 genre in general, I think this book will prove a worthwhile read. Not only is the book inspiring and hopeful, but it raises moral questions that we still struggle to answer today, and most importantly, it brings Janina's story to light, bringing society one step closer to uncovering many of the hidden gems regarding this period of time. It's not too long of a book, yet full of insight and information that will keep your curiousity piqued and encourage you to immerse yourself in this type of literature.
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