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Winter Journey
Diane Armstrong's bestselling fictional debut.
A mother's silence, a village with a terrible secret, and an Australian woman who travels to Poland to uncover the truth ...
When forensic dentist Halina Shore arrives in Nowa Kalwaria to take part in a war crimes investigation, she finds herself at the centre of a bitter struggle in a community that has been divided by a grim legacy. What she does not realise is that she has also embarked on a confronting personal journey.
Inspired by a true incident that took place in Poland in 1941, Diane Armstrong's powerful novel is part mystery, part forensic investigation, and a moving and confronting story of love, loss and sacrifice.
'A deeply moving and inspiring novel' GOOD READING 'A bold adventure of a novel ... Here is a consummate writer at the top of her form. A fine fictional debut from a writer who's already made her mark' CANBERRA TIMES 'Profoundly moving, compelling and superbly written' AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY
A mother's silence, a village with a terrible secret, and an Australian woman who travels to Poland to uncover the truth ...
When forensic dentist Halina Shore arrives in Nowa Kalwaria to take part in a war crimes investigation, she finds herself at the centre of a bitter struggle in a community that has been divided by a grim legacy. What she does not realise is that she has also embarked on a confronting personal journey.
Inspired by a true incident that took place in Poland in 1941, Diane Armstrong's powerful novel is part mystery, part forensic investigation, and a moving and confronting story of love, loss and sacrifice.
'A deeply moving and inspiring novel' GOOD READING 'A bold adventure of a novel ... Here is a consummate writer at the top of her form. A fine fictional debut from a writer who's already made her mark' CANBERRA TIMES 'Profoundly moving, compelling and superbly written' AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY
467 pages, Paperback
First published February 22, 2005
933 people are currently reading
4473 people want to read
About the author
Diane Armstrong
18 books207 followersDiane was born in Poland and arrived in Australia in 1948.
At the age of seven she decided to become a writer. Her first article, about teaching at a Blackboard Jungle school in London, was published in The Australian Women's Weekly in 1965. Diane subsequently became a freelance journalist, and over three thousand of her investigative articles, personal experience stories, profiles and travel stories have been published in newspapers and magazines such as Readers Digest, Vogue, The Bulletin, Harper's Bazaar, The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend, and The Age. Her articles have also appeared in major publications in the UK, Canada, Poland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Holland and South Africa.
Over the years she has received numerous awards for journalism, including the Pluma de Plata awarded by the Government of Mexico for the best article written about that country, and the Gold Award given by the Pacific Asia Tourist Association. In 1993 she received an award for an investigative article about Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease. In 1998, she received the George Munster Award for Independent Journalism.
At the age of seven she decided to become a writer. Her first article, about teaching at a Blackboard Jungle school in London, was published in The Australian Women's Weekly in 1965. Diane subsequently became a freelance journalist, and over three thousand of her investigative articles, personal experience stories, profiles and travel stories have been published in newspapers and magazines such as Readers Digest, Vogue, The Bulletin, Harper's Bazaar, The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend, and The Age. Her articles have also appeared in major publications in the UK, Canada, Poland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Holland and South Africa.
Over the years she has received numerous awards for journalism, including the Pluma de Plata awarded by the Government of Mexico for the best article written about that country, and the Gold Award given by the Pacific Asia Tourist Association. In 1993 she received an award for an investigative article about Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease. In 1998, she received the George Munster Award for Independent Journalism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
June 23, 2017
I really didn't enjoy this one even though the writing was decent, I just feel like there was a lot of extra stuff in the book that didn't need to be there. Also there were like two or three places the point of view changes but only for like a few pages and it didn't seem necessary, it just made me annoyed honestly. The main character is really self destructive and she's supposed to be a strong women but being successful shouldn't automatically mean youre strong, why are strong women always portrayed as having emotional problems. I just couldn't really get into the book at any point of it, the story is one that's been done before but there's better executions of it than this one.
April 19, 2021
3.5★
“She had heard about people returning from Poland with stories about new-found relatives and old houses that shimmered with childhood memories, but there was no door in Warsaw on which she could knock to relive the warmth of past connections.”
Halina is an Australian forensic dentist, an odontologist, one of those seemingly magic people who can read the history preserved in a tooth. (I know it isn’t magic, it’s science, but sometimes science is magic!)
She is asked to go to Poland to investigate a mass burial site to uncover, discover, recover bones and teeth to try to determine who was buried there. It’s a town where the locals insist that the Germans, not the Poles, murdered Jews. Not very many, actually, and only adults. Nothing to see here.
The story takes place mostly in the present day, while Halina is in Poland, but it does venture into the past, during WW2, and into recent times in Sydney. Halina has a Polish background about which she knows almost nothing, but she would like to. Her mother has died, and she has nobody else to ask, so a trip to Poland sounds like a good starting point for her personal quest.
The author shows the contrast between Halina’s Sydney and what she unearths in Poland. First, Sydney.
“Halina’s gaze wandered to the cliffs. Their sharp edges might have been hewn off by a giant’s axe. Beneath the overhangs that curled above the sea, the sandstone had been whorled into creamy caverns and red-streaked crevices where yellow gazanias had taken root. Waves crashed into smooth flat-topped boulders below, spilling over them like miniature waterfalls, and cormorants flew onto the rocks and spread out their wings to dry. The honeyed scent of alyssum wafted down from the hills above the beach. Why aren’t we delirious with joy at the beauty all around us, Halina wondered.”
Unfortunately, I found myself confused by Halina’s voice. For some reason, she seemed like a forty-something, when she’d talk with girlfriends about her married lover. I nearly stopped reading because I thought it sounded like chick-lit, the kind of light story that chooses a popular topic or location as the backdrop for a romance. This, however, moves from her dreamy Sydney and her sexy beau to something really dark.
Here, a woman tells Halina about the butchery in Poland. I will spare you the earlier details.
“‘Then I looked and saw what they were doing. I had to clamp my hands over my mouth to stop myself from screaming. They were throwing her head to each other like a football. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide open.’”
This is much more than a chick-lit horror story. Underneath, this is the real deal, if I can put it that way. I just wish the history and the facts and even the descriptions of her forensic operations (which are also pretty grisly) had been worked into the story more smoothly or subtly. Instead, I skimmed over many blocks of information and explanation. I could have done without the second romance as well.
The story is so good and so important that it should have five stars. It was inspired by true events, and there are extensive notes at the end, plus plenty of references to follow up. I wish it had been trimmed and tightened by a good editor, but I’m glad that, annoyed and disappointed as I was, I decided not to quit.
“She had heard about people returning from Poland with stories about new-found relatives and old houses that shimmered with childhood memories, but there was no door in Warsaw on which she could knock to relive the warmth of past connections.”
Halina is an Australian forensic dentist, an odontologist, one of those seemingly magic people who can read the history preserved in a tooth. (I know it isn’t magic, it’s science, but sometimes science is magic!)
She is asked to go to Poland to investigate a mass burial site to uncover, discover, recover bones and teeth to try to determine who was buried there. It’s a town where the locals insist that the Germans, not the Poles, murdered Jews. Not very many, actually, and only adults. Nothing to see here.
The story takes place mostly in the present day, while Halina is in Poland, but it does venture into the past, during WW2, and into recent times in Sydney. Halina has a Polish background about which she knows almost nothing, but she would like to. Her mother has died, and she has nobody else to ask, so a trip to Poland sounds like a good starting point for her personal quest.
The author shows the contrast between Halina’s Sydney and what she unearths in Poland. First, Sydney.
“Halina’s gaze wandered to the cliffs. Their sharp edges might have been hewn off by a giant’s axe. Beneath the overhangs that curled above the sea, the sandstone had been whorled into creamy caverns and red-streaked crevices where yellow gazanias had taken root. Waves crashed into smooth flat-topped boulders below, spilling over them like miniature waterfalls, and cormorants flew onto the rocks and spread out their wings to dry. The honeyed scent of alyssum wafted down from the hills above the beach. Why aren’t we delirious with joy at the beauty all around us, Halina wondered.”
Unfortunately, I found myself confused by Halina’s voice. For some reason, she seemed like a forty-something, when she’d talk with girlfriends about her married lover. I nearly stopped reading because I thought it sounded like chick-lit, the kind of light story that chooses a popular topic or location as the backdrop for a romance. This, however, moves from her dreamy Sydney and her sexy beau to something really dark.
Here, a woman tells Halina about the butchery in Poland. I will spare you the earlier details.
“‘Then I looked and saw what they were doing. I had to clamp my hands over my mouth to stop myself from screaming. They were throwing her head to each other like a football. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide open.’”
This is much more than a chick-lit horror story. Underneath, this is the real deal, if I can put it that way. I just wish the history and the facts and even the descriptions of her forensic operations (which are also pretty grisly) had been worked into the story more smoothly or subtly. Instead, I skimmed over many blocks of information and explanation. I could have done without the second romance as well.
The story is so good and so important that it should have five stars. It was inspired by true events, and there are extensive notes at the end, plus plenty of references to follow up. I wish it had been trimmed and tightened by a good editor, but I’m glad that, annoyed and disappointed as I was, I decided not to quit.
February 27, 2016
This book was brilliant on every level!
Gee I love historical fiction! And this book is a classic example of why.
Here we have a good dose of actual historical events seamlessly blended with a fictitious scenario that gives it such an authentic feel as to make it sound credible...even the incredible becomes plausible.
At the same time edifying us to the shocking realities that are woven within.
This is such an impressive construction of a story within a story.
Although much of it is quite confronting due to its subject matter, it is nevertheless a very riveting tale which provided much insight to this reader.
This extraordinary story was inspired by a true incident which took place in Poland in 1941, a little known act of genocide which defies belief. A pogrom which was so unthinkable and atrocious that every witness refused to acknowledge it, and conspired to cover it up, lay the blame elsewhere, then remain silent forevermore...making them complicit in their conspiracy.
The story revolves around Halina Shore, a Sydney based Odontologist, or forensic dentist, who has been invited to a tiny (fictitious) village in Poland called Nowa Kalwaria to take part in a war crimes investigation.
After the recent breakup of her long time romantic interest, and the death of her own mother, Halina thinks it might be opportunistic to accept the invitation. Whilst there she could take the opportunity to investigate her own Polish heritage and hopefully meet up with extended family.
Using her specialist skills as a forensic dentist her mission is to assist in the exhumation of an unknown number of bodies in a mass grave, to determine the number of bodies and any other distinctions, such as age, sex, ethnicity, cause of death etc. This is where DNA and mtDNA come into play and offer amazing insights.
Being a small village, the residents are all descendants of the families who lived here during the time of the incident. Some of the oldest residents might still recall events at the time...none however, care to recall or speak of that time. Preferring to let sleeping dogs rest.
None are happy about the investigation and things quickly start to heat up and get nasty as the exhumations get underway. Religious and political issues are brought up as Catholic and Jewish faiths spar about the desecration of this mass grave, in order to place the blame for the genocide on the rightful perpetrators.
This is the second book I have read by Diane Armstrong and I am really impressed at the level of integrity she brings to her stories. They are not overstated nor understated, they just exude an air of authenticity which makes you want to listen.
I would highly recommend this book and happily give it 5★s.
June 25, 2018
Halina Shore had been in Australia since she was a child. She and her mother had arrived after the war from Poland, but as much as Halina wanted to learn about her childhood, her mother refused to speak of it. After her mother’s death, Halina – a forensic dentist – was invited to Poland, to the small village of Nowa Kalwaria to investigate the murders of hundreds of Jews during the Nazi occupation.
Halina herself was born in Poland and her object, while she was in the country for work, was to research her own history – discover some, if not all, of her past. But the bitterness which shrouded Nowa Kalwaria remained, and in the eyes of the majority of Poles, the Jews were to blame for past atrocities.
As the forensic investigation deepened, the horrors of what was being uncovered rocked the small community – was everything they had always believed a lie? What else would Halina discover?
Winter Journey is Aussie author Diane Armstrong’s debut novel, and although fictional, was inspired by a true incident which took place in Poland in 1941. Tense, horrific, sad and emotional, Winter Journey is an exceptional historical fiction novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was recommended to me – and I pass the recommendation forward.
Halina herself was born in Poland and her object, while she was in the country for work, was to research her own history – discover some, if not all, of her past. But the bitterness which shrouded Nowa Kalwaria remained, and in the eyes of the majority of Poles, the Jews were to blame for past atrocities.
As the forensic investigation deepened, the horrors of what was being uncovered rocked the small community – was everything they had always believed a lie? What else would Halina discover?
Winter Journey is Aussie author Diane Armstrong’s debut novel, and although fictional, was inspired by a true incident which took place in Poland in 1941. Tense, horrific, sad and emotional, Winter Journey is an exceptional historical fiction novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was recommended to me – and I pass the recommendation forward.
July 17, 2019
Halina Shore is a forensic dentist, whose mother emigrated with her from Poland to Australia after WWII. Apart from the fact that she was born in Poland in 1939, Halina knows little of her background as her mother refuses to talk about Halina's father or relatives. Now living in Sydney (around the late 1990s), Halina is invited to be part of a forensic team investigating the site of a Jewish massacre. Although the Poles want to believe that the Germans killed the Jews after the Russians left Poland and can't see a reason for the exhumation, there is a suspicion that the Jews were in fact killed by the local villagers in a horrific act of genocide.
Told over two time frames, the author tells the story of hate and brutality that lead to the killing of the Jews and Halina's journey of discover not just in piecing the story together but learning more of her own history. In the process of getting to the truth, many secrets are uncovered and the story gathers steam to unravel the lies and deceptions and finally reveal the truth.
As the child of wartime Polish refugees who fled to Australia post WWII, Diane Armstrong is very familiar with the tales of horror told by those who managed to escape and resettle in a safe country. Although this is a work of historical fiction set in a fictional village, the author has based it on a real massacre where the entire Jewish population of a Polish village was slaughtered by their non-Jewish neighbours. She has done an excellent job of depicting the atmosphere in the village at the times of the massacre and the later exhumation and investigation. She gives us plenty of description of the processes involved in cataloging and identifying the remains found a mass grave and brings home the complexity of the process when so many bodies in poor condition are present.
I thought this was an excellent historical novel, highlighting that unspeakable crimes that did and do occur during war should never be covered up and ignored but investigated and the perpetrators brought to account.
Told over two time frames, the author tells the story of hate and brutality that lead to the killing of the Jews and Halina's journey of discover not just in piecing the story together but learning more of her own history. In the process of getting to the truth, many secrets are uncovered and the story gathers steam to unravel the lies and deceptions and finally reveal the truth.
As the child of wartime Polish refugees who fled to Australia post WWII, Diane Armstrong is very familiar with the tales of horror told by those who managed to escape and resettle in a safe country. Although this is a work of historical fiction set in a fictional village, the author has based it on a real massacre where the entire Jewish population of a Polish village was slaughtered by their non-Jewish neighbours. She has done an excellent job of depicting the atmosphere in the village at the times of the massacre and the later exhumation and investigation. She gives us plenty of description of the processes involved in cataloging and identifying the remains found a mass grave and brings home the complexity of the process when so many bodies in poor condition are present.
I thought this was an excellent historical novel, highlighting that unspeakable crimes that did and do occur during war should never be covered up and ignored but investigated and the perpetrators brought to account.
January 8, 2019
Fictional account based on a real event that took place in a small town in Poland in 1941 where people of the Jewish faith were locked into a barn and burned to death. The author took a different angle than usual in approaching this story. It is set in the early 2000’s rather than the 1940’s and involves a forensic dentist, who has personal ties to the region, taking part in an excavation of the site of a mass grave from the WWII era.
I had mixed feelings about this book. On the plus side, I liked the idea of examining the past to find out the truth of what happened through forensic science. I found it intriguing that the author brought together an atheist, a priest, and a rabbi, providing the opportunity to reflect on human nature in an insightful manner from various angles. I thought the author did an excellent job of showing the ideology of the various political factions in the town. I am drawn to books like this that explore personal beliefs and values, and how seemingly ordinary people can act in an extraordinarily inhumane ways while others jeopardize their lives to aid strangers. I thought the protagonist’s journey of personal identity was conveyed in a meaningful manner.
On the minus side, after the prologue, it was extremely slow in establishing the storyline. I kept wondering where the book was headed. The main plotline doesn’t gain momentum until about midway through the book. I thought the last half was far superior to the first half and wish the laying of groundwork had been more focused. The few graphic sex scenes seemed somehow out of place in a book about such deep and thought-provoking subject matter.
If you are interested in World War II fiction based around true events, explorations of personal identity, integrity, or good vs. evil in the world, I think it’s a worthwhile reading experience.
I had mixed feelings about this book. On the plus side, I liked the idea of examining the past to find out the truth of what happened through forensic science. I found it intriguing that the author brought together an atheist, a priest, and a rabbi, providing the opportunity to reflect on human nature in an insightful manner from various angles. I thought the author did an excellent job of showing the ideology of the various political factions in the town. I am drawn to books like this that explore personal beliefs and values, and how seemingly ordinary people can act in an extraordinarily inhumane ways while others jeopardize their lives to aid strangers. I thought the protagonist’s journey of personal identity was conveyed in a meaningful manner.
On the minus side, after the prologue, it was extremely slow in establishing the storyline. I kept wondering where the book was headed. The main plotline doesn’t gain momentum until about midway through the book. I thought the last half was far superior to the first half and wish the laying of groundwork had been more focused. The few graphic sex scenes seemed somehow out of place in a book about such deep and thought-provoking subject matter.
If you are interested in World War II fiction based around true events, explorations of personal identity, integrity, or good vs. evil in the world, I think it’s a worthwhile reading experience.
December 19, 2024
Halina Shore is a forensic dentist who was born in Poland and moved to Australia when she was nine. After the death of her aloof mother, she accepts an invitation to help exhume a mass grave in Poland. One of her motivations is that her mother has died without revealing anything substantial of Halina’s Polish history, and at this stage of her life, she wants to know more. In 1941, the Jews of the town were burned to death in a barn. The town's residents believe the Nazis did it, but rumors persist that it was the Polish people who committed the crime. The investigation is supposed to find out the truth but it only serves to bring out how deep seated the racial and religious history of Nowa Kalwaria has been.
I found this to be a very emotional story. It's based on a true incident and probed some important questions about humanity and religiously-based atrocities committed during WW2. It's an intricately plotted book that reads almost like a suspense novel with Halina trying to piece together the past and what it means for the present. There is both personal and social tragedy and triumph in this narrative that explores the twin faces of goodness and evil.
I found this to be a very emotional story. It's based on a true incident and probed some important questions about humanity and religiously-based atrocities committed during WW2. It's an intricately plotted book that reads almost like a suspense novel with Halina trying to piece together the past and what it means for the present. There is both personal and social tragedy and triumph in this narrative that explores the twin faces of goodness and evil.
April 21, 2025
I read this as a book in 2006 and have now listened to it on audio, which I enjoyed more.
This is a powerful story about truth, justice and reconciliation, as well as coming-to-terms with an unpalatable past. Partly a detective story, partly an historical novel and partly a story about an older woman's 'coming-of-age', it's the story of Polish-born Halina Shore, a forensic dentist, who – discontented with an unsatisfactory affair with a married man, and rootless since her mother’s death - takes off for Poland, to assist with the United Nations exhumation of a mass grave at Novacalvaria (New Calvary). It is no secret that the grave is there, nor that it holds the remains of about 1000 Jews who were burned alive in a barn in July 1941 - what is at stake is the identification of the perpetrators...
For the rest of my review (no spoilers) see http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/201...
This is a powerful story about truth, justice and reconciliation, as well as coming-to-terms with an unpalatable past. Partly a detective story, partly an historical novel and partly a story about an older woman's 'coming-of-age', it's the story of Polish-born Halina Shore, a forensic dentist, who – discontented with an unsatisfactory affair with a married man, and rootless since her mother’s death - takes off for Poland, to assist with the United Nations exhumation of a mass grave at Novacalvaria (New Calvary). It is no secret that the grave is there, nor that it holds the remains of about 1000 Jews who were burned alive in a barn in July 1941 - what is at stake is the identification of the perpetrators...
For the rest of my review (no spoilers) see http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/201...
March 5, 2016
Woven from historical incidents that took place in Poland in 1941, but brought into present day relevance. This work can truly help us to build empathy and a little understanding into human behavior and how wartime atrocities might occur as well as the significance, difficulties and resistance to in bringing forward truth to the past. Woven in is an intricate mystery, well told.
January 27, 2018
‘The end of a life was a disappointingly small moment that hung on the final exhalation of a breath .’
Halina Shore and her mother emigrated to Australia from Poland in the late 1940s, after World War II. Halina knows that she was born in 1939 but knows little else of her background. Her mother, Zosia, has never spoken about Halina’s father, about her family or life in Poland. And when her mother dies, she leaves little behind.
Halina is a forensic dentist, living in Sydney with her cat Puccini, when she is approached to be part of a forensic team investigating the site of a Jewish massacre in Poland. While relatively comfortable in Sydney, Halina seems restless and unsettled. Perhaps a visit to her country of birth might enable her to reconnect with her past?
Halina travels to Nowa Kalwaria in Poland, and finds a community divided over the investigation into the massacre. Many believe (or want to) that the Jews were killed by the Germans after the Russians left Poland. What would be the purpose in exhuming them? But what of the suspicion that the Jews were killed by the local villagers?
‘Halina glanced around the site. Somewhere in this dark soil, among the skulls and skeletons, criminology intersected with history, religion, sociology and psychology .’
Ms Armstrong approaches the investigation from two intertwined timelines. There are the events of 1941 leading to the massacre, and the present-day investigation. There are those in the present who think that the past can remain hidden, and there are those who’ve waited a long time to tell what they know. Learning the truth will not be easy for either the investigators or the villagers?
And for Halina?
I found this novel utterly absorbing. I also found the novel unbearably sad at times, with it’s reminders of unspeakable cruelty. But there are uplifting moments as well: courageous individuals who did their best against overwhelming odds. This novel, inspired by an event in Poland, is part history, part mystery and part forensic investigation. It explores both the rational objectivity of science and the irrational (at times) subjectivity of human behaviour.
This is a novel worth reading. Yes, it’s uncomfortable and confronting to be reminded of atrocity whether fact or fiction. But ignoring atrocity or pretending it hasn’t happened is far worse.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Halina Shore and her mother emigrated to Australia from Poland in the late 1940s, after World War II. Halina knows that she was born in 1939 but knows little else of her background. Her mother, Zosia, has never spoken about Halina’s father, about her family or life in Poland. And when her mother dies, she leaves little behind.
Halina is a forensic dentist, living in Sydney with her cat Puccini, when she is approached to be part of a forensic team investigating the site of a Jewish massacre in Poland. While relatively comfortable in Sydney, Halina seems restless and unsettled. Perhaps a visit to her country of birth might enable her to reconnect with her past?
Halina travels to Nowa Kalwaria in Poland, and finds a community divided over the investigation into the massacre. Many believe (or want to) that the Jews were killed by the Germans after the Russians left Poland. What would be the purpose in exhuming them? But what of the suspicion that the Jews were killed by the local villagers?
‘Halina glanced around the site. Somewhere in this dark soil, among the skulls and skeletons, criminology intersected with history, religion, sociology and psychology .’
Ms Armstrong approaches the investigation from two intertwined timelines. There are the events of 1941 leading to the massacre, and the present-day investigation. There are those in the present who think that the past can remain hidden, and there are those who’ve waited a long time to tell what they know. Learning the truth will not be easy for either the investigators or the villagers?
And for Halina?
I found this novel utterly absorbing. I also found the novel unbearably sad at times, with it’s reminders of unspeakable cruelty. But there are uplifting moments as well: courageous individuals who did their best against overwhelming odds. This novel, inspired by an event in Poland, is part history, part mystery and part forensic investigation. It explores both the rational objectivity of science and the irrational (at times) subjectivity of human behaviour.
This is a novel worth reading. Yes, it’s uncomfortable and confronting to be reminded of atrocity whether fact or fiction. But ignoring atrocity or pretending it hasn’t happened is far worse.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
August 30, 2017
In the time between Russia retreating and Nazi Germany arriving, something happened in a small Polish community in 1941 that can only be described as collective madness.
How do you otherwise make sense of a community that turns on its citizens, rounding up all the Jewish people and burning them alive? People that have been your neighbours since you were born now rape torture and burn you.
The story pulled me because of the medical forensic angle and of course any story set during WW2 is difficult to pass up but I expected to like this a lot more than I did.
The first chapter was BRILLIANT but this never carried over to the rest of the novel.
I think this is a story that is absolutely worth telling as its based on real events but I felt that the writing could have been a tighter. There were quite a few instances that the narration meandered too much for my liking and I struggled to really connect with the main character.
I did not dislike this novel but stood outside the story throughout my reading experience, never feeling as invested or involved as I would have expected to be based on the content.
December 16, 2016
I’ve read quite a few books about the Holocaust and the depths of depravity to which human beings are capable of sinking, and I am amazed that there are still aspects to the Holocaust that I’ve never heard of and that still have the power to gob smack me. This is one of them.
The author’s note at the end of the book explains that Nowa Kalwaria in Poland is fictitious, however while I was reading, since I was fairly sure this was based on a true story, I went googling to see if there was information online about it and the atrocity committed there in 1941. I still didn’t come across a lot until I finished and read the author’s note, which says that the events in the story were based on a village called Jedwabne. And there appears to be quite a significant amount of information online, where it appears that events happened very much as described in the book. There is some information about it at the Jewish Holocaust Library - http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/j..., as well as other sites.
Diane Armstrong did a great job of making her characters people that I connected with, and therefore I cared about what happened to them, especially the main character, Halina, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading of her journey to discover the truth of what happened in Nowa Kalwaria. Some of the coincidences were a little unrealistic toward the end, but I guess that’s all in the name of a satisfying conclusion!
There were some interesting theological issues which resulted in some great quotes. My favourites were:
“When the middle ground collapses, everyone scrambles for the edges.”
“The rabbi once said that worrying was an insult to G-d, because it meant that we didn’t trust the way He organised the world.”
“The priest walked over to the heavy dark sideboard and took a coin from a drawer, placed it on the table and then flipped it back and forth, before sinking back into his winged armchair. ‘All I can tell you in one sentence is that good is as much of a mystery as evil, but both are as inextricably connected as the two sides of that coin.’”
4.5★
The author’s note at the end of the book explains that Nowa Kalwaria in Poland is fictitious, however while I was reading, since I was fairly sure this was based on a true story, I went googling to see if there was information online about it and the atrocity committed there in 1941. I still didn’t come across a lot until I finished and read the author’s note, which says that the events in the story were based on a village called Jedwabne. And there appears to be quite a significant amount of information online, where it appears that events happened very much as described in the book. There is some information about it at the Jewish Holocaust Library - http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/j..., as well as other sites.
Diane Armstrong did a great job of making her characters people that I connected with, and therefore I cared about what happened to them, especially the main character, Halina, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading of her journey to discover the truth of what happened in Nowa Kalwaria. Some of the coincidences were a little unrealistic toward the end, but I guess that’s all in the name of a satisfying conclusion!
There were some interesting theological issues which resulted in some great quotes. My favourites were:
“When the middle ground collapses, everyone scrambles for the edges.”
“The rabbi once said that worrying was an insult to G-d, because it meant that we didn’t trust the way He organised the world.”
“The priest walked over to the heavy dark sideboard and took a coin from a drawer, placed it on the table and then flipped it back and forth, before sinking back into his winged armchair. ‘All I can tell you in one sentence is that good is as much of a mystery as evil, but both are as inextricably connected as the two sides of that coin.’”
4.5★
January 21, 2016
The premise of this novel of an Australian forensic dentist being invited to Poland to examine the remains of a massacre committed 60 years before. The dentist was born in Poland and brought to Australia as a girl by her mother. The timelines in the story were often unclear and the disadvantage of an audiobook is that the reader can't go back to recheck details. The story of working to uncover the truth behind the death of the entire Jewish population of a Polish village in 1941 is compelling. The various characters - Halina the forensic dentist, the local priest, an American Rabbi, the local teacher - are all well drawn. However, the author presents a cascade of coincidences that were confusing and unnecessary. This was based on an actual event, and the author should have remained more faithful to reality.
August 10, 2023
Read Around the World: Poland
After a VERY rough beginning [that was COMPLETELY unnecessary and did not actually contribute to the story AT ALL], this book became really well done. And it tells a story that I am sure few know about and it is absolutely heartbreaking. To say more would ruin the book for others.
After a VERY rough beginning [that was COMPLETELY unnecessary and did not actually contribute to the story AT ALL], this book became really well done. And it tells a story that I am sure few know about and it is absolutely heartbreaking. To say more would ruin the book for others.
April 16, 2017
Powerful.
Halina Shore is an Australian forensic dentist. Her career takes her to mass graves to help identify the bodies based on the dental remains. She has been requested to go to a village in Poland to help identify the remains of Jews who were massacred during WWII. This is bittersweet for Halina because she was born in Poland but knows nothing of her family; her only known relative, her mother, recently passed away. The Jews were not killed by Nazis as some Poles want to hear, but were killed by their own neighbors, with the blessing of the Nazis who were marching into the area.
While in Poland, she comes across her own family tree. It´s a small world after all. Was she one of the few survivors of the massacre? The Jewish survivors lived because of the goodness of their Gentile Polish neighbors. This novel does not delve into why some people do evil things, but why some people do good things. Why did the Polish neighbors help their Jewish friends? What prompted Halina to jump into the sea in Sydney when she saw a boy fall into the water? The local Catholic priest explains to Halina that "good was as much a mystery as evil." He also quoted poet Rumi who said: "Mysteries are not to be solved. The eye goes blind when it only wants to see why."
A couple of other good quotes from the book:
"Extremists always pose as patriots."
"When the middle ground collapses, everyone scrambles for the edges."
Both these quotes moved me as possible answers to the 2016 USA politics.
One part of the book that I didn´t like was her romance was hanging in the air by the end of the story.
After I finished reading the book, I read a little about the author. She, too, was born and lived in early WWII in Poland. She and her family had to hide their Jewish-ness by pretending to be Catholics.
Interesting story.
Halina Shore is an Australian forensic dentist. Her career takes her to mass graves to help identify the bodies based on the dental remains. She has been requested to go to a village in Poland to help identify the remains of Jews who were massacred during WWII. This is bittersweet for Halina because she was born in Poland but knows nothing of her family; her only known relative, her mother, recently passed away. The Jews were not killed by Nazis as some Poles want to hear, but were killed by their own neighbors, with the blessing of the Nazis who were marching into the area.
While in Poland, she comes across her own family tree. It´s a small world after all. Was she one of the few survivors of the massacre? The Jewish survivors lived because of the goodness of their Gentile Polish neighbors. This novel does not delve into why some people do evil things, but why some people do good things. Why did the Polish neighbors help their Jewish friends? What prompted Halina to jump into the sea in Sydney when she saw a boy fall into the water? The local Catholic priest explains to Halina that "good was as much a mystery as evil." He also quoted poet Rumi who said: "Mysteries are not to be solved. The eye goes blind when it only wants to see why."
A couple of other good quotes from the book:
"Extremists always pose as patriots."
"When the middle ground collapses, everyone scrambles for the edges."
Both these quotes moved me as possible answers to the 2016 USA politics.
One part of the book that I didn´t like was her romance was hanging in the air by the end of the story.
After I finished reading the book, I read a little about the author. She, too, was born and lived in early WWII in Poland. She and her family had to hide their Jewish-ness by pretending to be Catholics.
Interesting story.
August 15, 2017
I enjoyed reading about dental forensics/DNA. I found that to be fascinating.
I liked some parts of the story line, yet found some to be lacking or repetitious. The actual writing, itself, was excellent.
I would give this 3.5-stars
I liked some parts of the story line, yet found some to be lacking or repetitious. The actual writing, itself, was excellent.
I would give this 3.5-stars
February 9, 2018
A very well written but, sad story, about a horrific event in Poland where a community rounded up the Jewish people and burned them in a barn while blaming it on the Germans.
Halina, a forensics scientist, uncovers an unknown piece of history while also learning about her family lineage.
Halina, a forensics scientist, uncovers an unknown piece of history while also learning about her family lineage.
January 7, 2016
This was a difficult read for me. I picked this book up because it deals with World War II era, and I am very interested in this time period. The story takes place in current times, but the main character is piecing together events that took place in a small village in Poland during WWII. I am especially interested in WWII from a perspective other than Germany's. It was slow to get moving and I actually abandoned it for a while, but eventually came back to it. The story picked up about a third or so of the way through it and I actually enjoyed the story line, although, I found it to be predictable.
So, besides the slow beginning, what made it a hard read? I feel like there was a sexual scene towards the beginning that really didn't need to be there. It was a little too detailed for my tastes and I don't feel like it added anything to the story line - in fact I feel like it took away from it. All of the other "romantic" scenes in the book were done much more tactfully.
Also, reading about the torture and killing of the Jews was very hard for me to stomach. This, however, did add to the storyline. While this is historical fiction, I'm guessing events similar to those described in the book probably really took place. I'm not advocating that we stick our heads in the sand and pretend it never happened. I'm just mentioning that it was hard to read and left me with a lot to think about. So, for sensitive people, this probably will not be the best book to choose.
Overall, I did get drawn into the story and wanted find out what was going to happen and how the characters were going to react. I am glad that I came back to the book and finished it.
So, besides the slow beginning, what made it a hard read? I feel like there was a sexual scene towards the beginning that really didn't need to be there. It was a little too detailed for my tastes and I don't feel like it added anything to the story line - in fact I feel like it took away from it. All of the other "romantic" scenes in the book were done much more tactfully.
Also, reading about the torture and killing of the Jews was very hard for me to stomach. This, however, did add to the storyline. While this is historical fiction, I'm guessing events similar to those described in the book probably really took place. I'm not advocating that we stick our heads in the sand and pretend it never happened. I'm just mentioning that it was hard to read and left me with a lot to think about. So, for sensitive people, this probably will not be the best book to choose.
Overall, I did get drawn into the story and wanted find out what was going to happen and how the characters were going to react. I am glad that I came back to the book and finished it.
February 12, 2010
This is a moving and powerful book that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.
In July 1941, the inhabitants of the rural village of Novacalvaria, Poland, murdered their own Jewish population. Around 1000 of Novacalvaria’s Jews were herded into a large barn by the village’s non-Jewish populace and burned alive. Only two children escaped the brutal inferno brought upon them by their former friends, neighbours and villagers.
Sixty years later, forensic odontologist (dentist), Halina Shore, a Polish-born Australian and world renowned expert, is called upon by the Polish government to participate in the exhumation of a mass grave at Novacalvaria – that of the village’s Jews. The project, however, unleashes prejudices old and new - with bittersweet consequences for both the dead and the living.
I have written a longer review of this book here http://ihatebooks.wordpress.com/2010/...
In July 1941, the inhabitants of the rural village of Novacalvaria, Poland, murdered their own Jewish population. Around 1000 of Novacalvaria’s Jews were herded into a large barn by the village’s non-Jewish populace and burned alive. Only two children escaped the brutal inferno brought upon them by their former friends, neighbours and villagers.
Sixty years later, forensic odontologist (dentist), Halina Shore, a Polish-born Australian and world renowned expert, is called upon by the Polish government to participate in the exhumation of a mass grave at Novacalvaria – that of the village’s Jews. The project, however, unleashes prejudices old and new - with bittersweet consequences for both the dead and the living.
I have written a longer review of this book here http://ihatebooks.wordpress.com/2010/...
December 14, 2017
I was so intrigued with this story. It is horrifying that this actually happened. Diane Armstrong writes beautifully though this is a difficult story. I found the forensic science fascinating and was totally drawn into the mystery of the story. If you liked Lilac Girls and Mischling then this is a must read! !
May 2, 2017
Winter Journey is a haunting book...focusing on atrocities against the Jews in
Poland during WWII, the perpetrators, the victims, the bystanders who watched and did nothing, and the brave souls who risked their lives to save those that they could. This also becomes a story of family secrets, as unexpected twists are revealed. As is the case for many books written on this subject, there are parts that are painful to read. But this is also the story of sacrifice, family, and faith...and forgiveness. This book is written with humanity and heart that reach past the evil, and the courage that transcends bigotry.
Poland during WWII, the perpetrators, the victims, the bystanders who watched and did nothing, and the brave souls who risked their lives to save those that they could. This also becomes a story of family secrets, as unexpected twists are revealed. As is the case for many books written on this subject, there are parts that are painful to read. But this is also the story of sacrifice, family, and faith...and forgiveness. This book is written with humanity and heart that reach past the evil, and the courage that transcends bigotry.
March 23, 2017
This book has the potential to tell a powerful story, however, it was weakened by a lack of continuity in the main character. At the time this took place, she would have been in her 60s, yet the author portrayed her as being much younger; she was immature, impulsive, and lacked insight. Parts of the book are brilliantly written, but my annoyance with the main character clouded the important message of the story.
November 28, 2015
Wonderful
This journey of discovery could easily serve as a lesson for our contemporary situation. An illustration of how easily fear and hatred can cause humanity to do unspeakable things and also how others can open their hearts to great good. This is a book I could not put down. Layer upon layer peeled away to reveal the secret. Makes you search your own motives.
This journey of discovery could easily serve as a lesson for our contemporary situation. An illustration of how easily fear and hatred can cause humanity to do unspeakable things and also how others can open their hearts to great good. This is a book I could not put down. Layer upon layer peeled away to reveal the secret. Makes you search your own motives.
books-dnf
November 4, 2016Abandoned! I abandoned this book because I couldn't cope with the sadness at the beginning. I listened to it last thing at night and just knew it wasn't for me. Man's inhumanity to man never ceases to appall me. I couldn't read The Book Thief either, for the same reason. My abandonment is not a reflection on the quality of the writing.
June 20, 2017
This novel, based on a true historical incident, is a tough read at times, but it tells an important story. I speak Polish so I may have found it easier than most to deal with the Polish names and dialogue. They do add authenticity, as do the descriptions of the tragedy at the heart of the book. Some scenes require a strong stomach, but I found the book as a whole gripping. It asks a lot of moral questions without hitting one over the head with them. A good book for book clubs.
June 12, 2022
Good in parts. Based on a true story of genocide in WWII, the historical parts of the story were fascinating and tragic. The modern part of the story was much weaker and relied on too many unlikely coincidences.
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
March 11, 2022
This book and I got off to an rough start for the first few chapters when it seemed to be headed off into "miserable woman pining after jackass unavailable man" land. Honestly, there are several chapters at the beginning that could be cut out and not missed. Once you get Halina out of Australia and focused on her work as a forensic dentist rather than her asinine affair or shopping, things got a lot more interesting.
The story is a heavily fictionalized account of the 1941 Jedwabne massacre of the village's Jewish population by their Christian neighbors. It's important to note that this didn't just happen in Jedwabne; there is evidence that it happened in other towns and villages, too.
Halina, the main character, is part of a excavation of the mass grave in Jedwabne, an exercise that has the goal of proving once and for all whether the German army killed the Jews or the Polish villagers did and whether there were only Bolshevik men killed, as the villagers claim, or if women and children were killed. Tensions run high. Politics are at play. On display is plenty of evidence of how bigotry is disguised as patriotism and how children learn from the examples of their parents. In the middle of this is Halina, who has a closer tie to the village than even she is aware of.
There are parts of the story where the inconsistencies are distracting (as are the many typos.) Still, it ended up being a far better book than I expected given the first few chapters.
The takeaway of the story is this: what happens to a community when it not only suppresses, but outright denies, its history and deeds? What happens with those "alternative facts" get adopted and passed along as truth? Given the current social and political climate, those might not be rhetorical questions anymore.
The story is a heavily fictionalized account of the 1941 Jedwabne massacre of the village's Jewish population by their Christian neighbors. It's important to note that this didn't just happen in Jedwabne; there is evidence that it happened in other towns and villages, too.
Halina, the main character, is part of a excavation of the mass grave in Jedwabne, an exercise that has the goal of proving once and for all whether the German army killed the Jews or the Polish villagers did and whether there were only Bolshevik men killed, as the villagers claim, or if women and children were killed. Tensions run high. Politics are at play. On display is plenty of evidence of how bigotry is disguised as patriotism and how children learn from the examples of their parents. In the middle of this is Halina, who has a closer tie to the village than even she is aware of.
There are parts of the story where the inconsistencies are distracting (as are the many typos.) Still, it ended up being a far better book than I expected given the first few chapters.
The takeaway of the story is this: what happens to a community when it not only suppresses, but outright denies, its history and deeds? What happens with those "alternative facts" get adopted and passed along as truth? Given the current social and political climate, those might not be rhetorical questions anymore.
February 19, 2016
This book had potential: a Polish village has to come to terms with its past when a mass grave containing the remains of Jewish villagers killed in 1941 is exhumed. The main character, an Australian forensic dentist with Polish ancestry, finds herself drawn deeply and personally into the history.
The tensions raised in the village by the exhumation and the very disparate attitudes to Jewish people (both during World War II and in the present) are well conveyed. But in the end, I remained unconvinced. I felt the book was longer than it needed to be (I often feel that these days) and some of the descriptions of forensic dentistry and how to extract mitochondrial DNA were just too detailed.
More than that, though, I felt the ending skipped the issues. When the truth about the massacre is finally revealed, there is little examination of the impact on the village itself. And, as far as the main character is concerned, the ending is too predictable, following on from a number of coincidences.
There were some continuity issues, too. The main character is born before the war but the story takes place in a present that includes mobile phones; she must be at least in her sixties but the way she is described makes her sound about 40. This might sound nitpicky but it distracted me and made her less convincing for me.
There were some other minor continuity issues as well, which should have been picked up by an editor.
Nonetheless, I kept reading because I wanted to know what happens, although I have to admit I speed read some parts.
The tensions raised in the village by the exhumation and the very disparate attitudes to Jewish people (both during World War II and in the present) are well conveyed. But in the end, I remained unconvinced. I felt the book was longer than it needed to be (I often feel that these days) and some of the descriptions of forensic dentistry and how to extract mitochondrial DNA were just too detailed.
More than that, though, I felt the ending skipped the issues. When the truth about the massacre is finally revealed, there is little examination of the impact on the village itself. And, as far as the main character is concerned, the ending is too predictable, following on from a number of coincidences.
There were some continuity issues, too. The main character is born before the war but the story takes place in a present that includes mobile phones; she must be at least in her sixties but the way she is described makes her sound about 40. This might sound nitpicky but it distracted me and made her less convincing for me.
There were some other minor continuity issues as well, which should have been picked up by an editor.
Nonetheless, I kept reading because I wanted to know what happens, although I have to admit I speed read some parts.
September 16, 2016
This historical novel tells an important story about how the Christian citizens of a Polish town, after the Russians leave and as the Germans arrive early in WWII burn and bury their Jewish neighbors. This is based on an event that actually occurred and the author did substantial research on the historical event and on forensic science used to identify the victims.
But, at least for this reader, the way the story was told was often offputting. First, there is the "strong woman" narrator having a ridiculous affair with a newspaper editor and, as a result, doing an interview with a questionable journalist without being on guard. I just found this woman - Halena - hard to believe. Second, was the overuse of adjectives and adverbs - save me from authors who cannot resist the urge to use descriptors when there is no need. Third, was the "romance" feeling of this historical novel, as I really dislike "romance" novels.
But, at least for this reader, the way the story was told was often offputting. First, there is the "strong woman" narrator having a ridiculous affair with a newspaper editor and, as a result, doing an interview with a questionable journalist without being on guard. I just found this woman - Halena - hard to believe. Second, was the overuse of adjectives and adverbs - save me from authors who cannot resist the urge to use descriptors when there is no need. Third, was the "romance" feeling of this historical novel, as I really dislike "romance" novels.
January 14, 2017
Alina is an Australian specialist who specializes in forensic dentistry and whose life is falling apart in Sydney. She accepts a job to travel to her native Poland, where there is ano investigation underway. In 1941 the Jewish members if a small town were herded into a local barn and burnt alive. Locals say that it was the Germans, who did it, killing local communists.
Based on a true story the author spins a fictional start that puts a personal twist on what is truly an evil evil deed and it is pretty confronting thinking about what neighbors can do to each other. I didn't expect to hear about the continued prejudice and animosity that still occurred within the population, with many still blaming the Jews for what occurred to them.
Based on a true story the author spins a fictional start that puts a personal twist on what is truly an evil evil deed and it is pretty confronting thinking about what neighbors can do to each other. I didn't expect to hear about the continued prejudice and animosity that still occurred within the population, with many still blaming the Jews for what occurred to them.
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