Krysia

November 1, 2016
A young girl endures life as a political prisoner.In 1939, when Krystyna "Krysia" Mihulka was 9, Russia invaded Poland. Her straightforward first-person narration, crafted with the assistance of Goddu, is convincingly childlike though not without the occasional poetic flair. She recounts how her lawyer father went into hiding and Krysia, her mother, and her brother were arrested and forced to leave their beloved home in Lwow, Poland (now Liviv, Ukraine), and made to take the long, difficult journey to a prison camp in Kazakhstan. As to be expected, life was harsh, but with her mother's hope and determination to keep her children alive, they survived and left Kazakhstan in 1941, when Germany invaded Russia and amnesty was granted to Polish political prisoners like Krysia and her family. Her mother secured passage to Uzbekistan, where they reunited with family, following which Krysia, her mother, and brother sailed for Persia (modern-day Iran), where they lived in a Polish refugee camp in Tehran. Told in an easy narrative style, Krysia's story is accessible; she is someone for whom readers will feel empathy while learning about the removal of more than 1.5 million Poles from their homeland. Additional material includes an afterword; an epilogue outlining Krysia's life from her arrival in Persia to her eventual settling in California in 1969, where she lives today; a map of her journey from Poland to Persia; a Polish pronunciation guide; and an author's note.Elegant, eye-opening, and memorable. (Memoir. 10-15)

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March 1, 2017

Gr 4-7-In 1940, nine-year-old Mihulka and her mother and younger brother were forced from their home in Poland and taken to a Soviet-run labor camp in Kazakhstan. Through Mihulka's mother's resourcefulness and the children's resilience, they survived the harsh conditions and were able to reconnect with family members before traveling to a refugee camp in Iran in 1942. Writing in a simple, direct style, Mihulka shares her experiences, fears, and reactions in a clear yet age-appropriate way. A guide to selected Polish words, along with their pronunciations, is placed at the beginning of this volume, giving tweens a chance to glance through it before diving into the narrative. Black-and-white photographs are scattered throughout, and a helpful map of the family's journey is also included. An afterword and epilogue give insight into the fates of many Polish people during World War II, as well as additional information about Mihulka and her family. VERDICT Painting a vivid picture of a child's experience as a civilian caught among warring powers, Mihulka's story offers many opportunities for discussion, especially given the current refugee crisis.-Sarah Reid, Four County Library System, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2016
Grades 5-8 Krystyna Mihulka was only nine when Germany bombarded her hometown in eastern Poland; soon after, Russian Communists took over the territory. After her beloved father was forced into hiding, she and her mother and younger brother, deemed political prisoners, were herded onto a cattle car and sent to a work farm in rugged, remote Kazakhstan. Her mother's gift for barter and the friendships of similarly afflicted families sustained them for two years of extreme hardship and near starvation. Mihulka, now in her late eighties, does her best to convey the experience as perceived by a young girl. Her narrative has undeniable value as a document. As a story intended for a young audience, it does at times fall short and may not effectively keep younger readers hooked. Still, this memoir has power and does the necessary work of prompting readers to try to imagine what it's like to be among the millions of children undergoing similar upheavals in the war zones of today.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)