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What in Life Were Wings
What in Life Were Wings by Barbara Isbister
Based on the true story of one girl’s forced deportation to the Siberian Gulag The story of the wartime experience of my mother
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If we look at history, we might sometimes wonder why it is possible for nations, peoples and communities to be repeatedly subjugated by others; why rulers and dictators often succeed in their attempts to control or eradicate vast numbers of innocent people; why the differences between us can be such a divisive force, instead of a cause for celebration; why, for some, the drive for territorial gain and for the assertion of power are goals which seem to override everything else, everything good.
As a result of this, many perish. Often only a minority survive their imposed ordeals. What in Life Were Wings is the story of one such time. Is it possible that what seems like the answer to their prayers and their faith in God, could save them?
It is the story inspired by my mother’s recollections of her wartime experience and of her childhood before the war. It is her legacy. It is a tribute to her first and foremost. It also aims to make this story, almost unknown outside Eastern Europe, accessible to a wider public and future generations across the English-speaking world.
Back cover of book
Before Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, this book was ready for publication. Sadly, since then we have seen that history does indeed repeat itself. There are parallels between events that happened in Poland during and after World War II and the events, over eighty years later, in Ukraine in 2022. In 1939, approximately half of Poland, consisting of the entire area of eastern Poland from north to south, was occupied by Russia; the western half by Germany. More than a million and a half people were forcibly deported from the eastern side to the USSR. My mother’s deportation took place from her home near Lwów in Poland, what is now Lviv in Western Ukraine, to the Siberian Gulag.
What in Life Were Wings is a reminder of how quickly and brutally our freedoms can be taken away, but how the courage and faith of each one of us may have the power to overcome misfortune.
Publication date 28th November 2022 www.whatinlifewerewings.com
