The second in a five part series dealing with Poland and WWII, this deals with 1944-1947. As a result of denying their Jewish identity a boy and his mother have survived the horrors of war, while most of their relatives, neighbors and communities have been destoyed. The unexpected problem is how to survive the peace. As ethnic and political animosities resurface in a fluid and lawless post war Poland the child begins to believe that there is only war, and peace is a period where war continues, barely hidden, waiting to erupt again. This is an excellent short book, more fact than fiction, and worth the time to read.

I'm a native Pole, so it's easy for me to say "Milosz is great". I can read his works in the original language he has written them in, however, as person who uses the English language on the daily basis, I can also say "He is the poet of the world". In this book, Milosz shows his talent at its best. Descriptive, enigmatic and feeling. Thank you for that, Czeslaw,this books expressed your feelings so eloquently that it helped me express mine.

This author's first loyalty was not to the reader. I did not believe the characters; they just were not well developed. The author also tried to go down the path of the "dark, brooding" lead and he did not pull it off. Overall, not that great of a book. There are many others out there that are better.