by

Barbara Isbister

Released: 28/11/2022
ISBN: 9781803134925
Format: Paperback

1940. World War II is raging in Europe. While the world is focused on Germany, the long arm of Stalin has found its way to eastern Poland.

In midwinter a young girl, Zofia, and her family are forced out of their home and deported to a destination thousands of miles away in the Siberian Gulag, where the value of human life has no meaning.

Zofia’s life changes forever as she makes an epic journey across continents; a journey in which she becomes a woman, but never forgets her lost idyllic life – the golden days in the golden fields back home.

Based on the almost unknown, true story of deportation, ethnic cleansing and genocide, it is a story of despair and hope, heartbreaking loss and resilience, testing the limits and strength of the human spirit. Ever greater challenges and the dilemma of her life loom ahead. Will any of the 1.69 million deportees escape and return to their beloved homeland against such unimaginable oppressors?

‘What In Life Were Wings’ is a gripping story that will stay with the reader long after the final page has fallen.

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Before Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this novel was ready for publication. It is the story of the author’s mother’s forced deportation from near Lwów in Poland, what is now Lviv in Western Ukraine, to the Siberian Gulag.
History does indeed repeat itself. There are parallels between events which happened in Poland during and after World War II and the events, over eighty years later, in Ukraine in 2022.
‘What in Life Were Wings’ is a reminder of how quickly and brutally our freedoms can be taken away, but how the courage of each one of us may have the power to overcome misfortune.

Reviews

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘What a book! A heart wrenching, harrowing and eye opener of a book so beautifully written about the author’s mother during WW2 in Poland and Russia. Although the subject was difficult to read about, I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t know much about Poland or how the people suffered during this terrible time. I could go on with so many words but thank you Barbara for writing this book and informing us of the hardships so many people went through.’

Chris Miller

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘A truly gifted writer. The author has the ability to capture & hold a person’s imagination, while at the same time telling a true factual story. Hopefully we will see a sequel.’

Jim Edwards

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘Well, what can I say? This exceptional first book has had me on an emotional treadmill for the past few days. I had very little idea of this part of history, so my eyes have been widely opened.
Whilst it is an utterly heart-rending testimony, transporting us from an idyllic childhood in pre-war Poland, to being thrown into the turmoil and cruelty that is war, the author has given real substance to her mother’s extraordinary journey through her teenage years and beyond.
I can’t believe how this book has touched me, in fact I find it quite extraordinary, and it has had me in floods of tears, even as I write this. I simply didn’t want to put it down or for it to end as its descriptive and artistic qualities are outstanding. Thank you’

Anthea Blackmore

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘Everything about this novel is immediate. Riveting. Page-turning. Based on true facts. The author paints vivid pictures of events as they unfold.’

Thomas Harris

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘I am usually a slow reader, but this book was enthralling and I finished it in the record time of three days, as I just could not put it down. I learnt so much pre-war and World War II history. I had little knowledge of the atrocities inflicted on the Polish people apart from the bombing of Warsaw. The author’s research was obviously extensive and time consuming.
It certainly made shocking and thought-provoking reading. I found myself emotional and wishing I had known all this years ago. This book was a testimony to a beautiful family who had given Zofia the strength of character to endure whatever life threw at her. A great read.’

Maureen Ford

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘The book is so vivid and readable. A really fascinating story and one about which few people in the UK probably know anything. An inspiring story of human strength.’

Melinda Heathcote

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘The first few pages were enough to choke me up for the rest of the day. I’m still left stunned and close to tears. … A great read, I felt waves of emotions throughout.’

Basia Różycka

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘What an amazing book about the writer’s late Mother’s life. I found ‘What in Life Were Wings’ a profound and extremely moving tale of a life that was so extreme for someone so young.
Life in those extreme and dangerous circumstances was so cruel. To have coped so bravely and with such courage is almost beyond belief. I would most certainly recommend it.’

Pauline Allen MBE

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘Forced into an intercontinental journey of 1000’s of miles across a war-torn world in the 1940s. The author draws beautiful pictures to lighten the grim reality of some parts of this hard to put down book. A must read.’

Dr Sandra Williams

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘A heart-breaking story. Utterly unputdownable. We know about the Holocaust but know nothing about this. Why wasn’t it brought out before? Humanity amazes – such cruelty and such courage.’

Jennifer Murray

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘An amazing and heart-rending account of one young girl’s deportation to Siberia at the hands of the Russians at the start of World War Two. I had no idea of the pact signed between the Germans and the Russians in 1939. This was a book which I couldn’t put down – a real page turner. The story had a profound impact, particularly as I discovered, only when I had finished the book, that the main character was based on the author’s own mother. A great read!’

Diana Stanley

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘A riveting story of extraordinary fortitude. This is the incredible story of the true events described by the historian Norman Davies as the ‘forgotten holocaust.’
It is told through the eyes of a young girl, Zofia.
This heartrending account should be taught as part of the History curriculum. Incredible acts of bravery, heroism and human endurance, suffered under unbelievably harsh conditions. Their bravery and suffering must never be forgotten. This book deserves to be widely read and its story to be disseminated.’

W. A. Chorlton

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘A brilliant job to put on the shelves the very poorly known, or understood, piece of important history. Very well done.’

Hilary Turner

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘The story of a young woman’s family torn apart by the barbarity of Stalin’s desire to seize Eastern Poland which results in them experiencing the horrors of the Siberian Gulag.
It deals not only with the duplicity of Nazi Germany signing the 1939 Pact with the Soviet Union but also the cowardice of the Allies in not exposing the atrocities of Stalin’s regime in places like Katyn for fear of antagonising, ‘our Soviet ally’.
A poignant story of human resilience in the face of incredible adversity.’

John Welch

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘The first few chapters are really harrowing. I couldn’t believe things could then get so much worse. A brilliant book about the unbelievable journey of a young girl during World War 2 and beyond. It is harrowing, interesting and very well written, 100% recommend.’

Amy

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘A riveting story of extraordinary fortitude.
This is the incredible story of the true events described by the historian Norman Davies as the ‘forgotten holocaust’.
It is told through the eyes of a young girl, Zofia, who is very closely based on the author’s own mother. During the Second World War many thousands of Poles were forcibly deported to labour camps in Siberia under the orders of Stalin. Young and old: men, women and children were forced to work under extremely brutal conditions – those who had survived the barbaric journey in the first place.
This heartrending account should be taught as part of the History curriculum. Incredible acts of bravery, heroism and human endurance under unbelievably harsh conditions didn’t prevent this amazing generation of Poles from surviving. When liberated from their appalling incarceration they fought as part of the Allied Forces only to be treated shabbily and betrayed at Yalta at the end of the war. Their bravery and suffering must never be forgotten. This book deserves to be widely read and its story to be disseminated.’

W. A. Chorlton

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘This book is very well written! It reflects the tragic history of those who suffered deportation, ethnic cleansing and genocide in WWII. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know about this little known part of the history of WWII. It traces the plight of Polish deportees who were sent to the Russian gulag. Very engaging, easy read and highly relevant to what is happening in Ukraine today, confirming that unfortunately history does repeat itself.’

Sophia K.

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘’What in Life Were Wings’ recreates the extreme privations of the Siberian Gulag, providing a detailed insight into the lives of the deportees who had no idea exactly where they were and whether or not they would ever return home.
The author paints a vivid picture of the isolation and vast landscape of Siberia.’

Anna Welch

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘A heartbreaking account of the cruelty of war but how love of family and friends keeps hope alive. Very interesting book, well written and totally engaging. ’

Mary Wheatley

Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗

‘To simply put it, reading this book about an unimaginable account of a young girl’s life, is heartbreaking. The destruction of families and harsh treatments unbearable. A great read – I didn’t want to put it down at night.’

Andrew E.

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