Poles Apart: From Darkness, Fire and Chains

This novel is inspired by the author's involvement in a real family reunion, and the long odyssey undertaken by its various members to get there. Piechowski uses a blend of accurate historical background, with its basis on true-life characters and events, and vivid fictional characterisation to depict a family torn apart by its own past, and by the brutality of both the Nazi and Soviet regimes, as well as paying tribute to the bravery of the Polish nation as it fought against tyranny and unspeakable cruelty from both the ideological right and left. While the plight of Ewa and Henryk and their close family members and friends is most intriguing, informative, eventful and, in parts, deeply affecting, this story holds a wider message, one relevant to all mankind. In telling this 'personal, family account of a war for liberty and self-determination', Piechowski speaks out for those who continue to struggle against oppression and persecution, with no one to defend them in this world of powerful and so-called caring democracies. Highlighting our own awareness of what we hold dear, this gripping tale emphasises why we must never forget.