Of War, Captivity, & A Bear Called Wojtek
The Storyteller Of Krakow by Carly Schabowski is a powerful historical tale that consumed me from the start. It is a blend of fact and fiction, educating the reader as we go.
The tale follows lead character Lena, who is Polish. We follow her through her war – first the Russians over-ran Poland and Lena and her parents ended up in the Gulag. Then Russia swapped sides, freed everyone in the Gulag and recommended that the Poles make their way to Uzbekistan as that was where the Polish army was in exile.
The army included a mascot of an orphaned Syrian brown bear called Wojtek. We see that bond he forms with Lena and how he recues her on more than one occasion. Their bond is beautiful.
Lena’s war sees her travel through Egypt and ends up in the blood-bath of Monte Cassino.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Storyteller Of Krakow. It is told in two time periods – the second World War and 1994 as we drop in on Lena. She is still feisty and out to protect the under-dog.
This tale will educate you as you read. I certainly did not know about the war from the Polish viewpoint. And I did not realise that Wojtek was real. The author tells us that there are statues to Wojtek in Krakow and in Edinburgh as he ended up in Edinburgh Zoo after the war.
I received a free copy. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
