A Family’s Ties Were Broken in Poland of 1939
1939
Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend’s infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.
2023
Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she’s been working with is murdered. It’s all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family’s past like she’s always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.
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1939
Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend’s infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.
2023
Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she’s been working with is murdered. It’s all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family’s past like she’s always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.
MY THOUGHTS.....
What I Left for You is an unforgettable book! It is told with a dual timeline: one is set in Poland during WWII, the other in Pittsburg in 2023. These stories intertwine to present a heartbreaking tale of persecution and death while showcasing the astounding strength and perseverance of a group known as the Lemkos. I was familiar with the atrocities suffered by the Jewish people in Germany during World War II and I'm now aware of the victimization of the Polish Lemkos!
What I Left for You had realistic characters that exemplified the best and worst of mankind. Helena and Jerzy were forced to endure torture, imprisonment, and separation from family because of the evil and hatred of small-minded people. Did they give up? No, they still hung on, and "No matter what, God" became their mantra! Wouldn't this be a great mantra for all of us today? I also enjoyed the current-day story that took McKenna Muir to Poland as she searched for her family history. There she learned Helena's story and a shared connection, and finally understood the meaning of the words, "No matter what, God"!
What I Left for You had realistic characters that exemplified the best and worst of mankind. Helena and Jerzy were forced to endure torture, imprisonment, and separation from family because of the evil and hatred of small-minded people. Did they give up? No, they still hung on, and "No matter what, God" became their mantra! Wouldn't this be a great mantra for all of us today? I also enjoyed the current-day story that took McKenna Muir to Poland as she searched for her family history. There she learned Helena's story and a shared connection, and finally understood the meaning of the words, "No matter what, God"!
In her author's notes Liz Tolsma shares that much of this story is based on her own family history. Her pride in her Lemko/Rusyn heritage is evident as she deftly weaves fact and fiction into a mesmerizing tale of love and faith triumphing over evil and hatred. More importantly, What I Left for You is a powerful reminder that we should never hide mistakes from the past. They need to remain so that they won't be repeated! I highly recommend this book and the entire Echoes from the Past series to all who enjoy historical Christian fiction!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
Passionate might best describe Liz Tolsma. She loves writing, research, and editing. Her passion shone through in her first novel which was a double award finalist. On any given day, you might find her pulling weeds in her perennial garden, walking her hyperactive dog, or curled up with a good book. Nothing means more to her than her family. She’s married her high-school sweetheart twenty-eight years ago. Get her talking about international adoption, and you might never get her to stop. She and her husband adopted three children, including a son who is a U.S. Marine, and two daughters.
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ECHOES OF THE PAST
What I Would Tell You
What I Left for You
