The Woodcarver of Krakow

by Rachel Clare

Two brothers. Bound by a promise. Torn apart by war.
Tadeusz and Jacek Lewandowski are the closest of brothers. After the tragedy of losing their mother and with their father in the Polish army, they are raised by their grandfather, a skilled wood-craftsman. They enjoy an idyllic childhood in the Tatra Mountains.
Relying on each other for everything, Tad and Jacek have never been apart. That is, until, the Nazi and Russian armies close in on Poland in September 1939, forcing Tad to leave behind his degree course and everyone he loves to escape across occupied Europe.
Tad’s journey is fraught with danger but he battles on using the life-skills Jacek taught him growing up. Eventually reaching Blackpool, he joins the Polish Air Force. The war against the Nazis is just beginning and the aftermath of war has a huge impact on the lives of both brothers in more ways than one…

334 pages, Paperback

Published August 28, 2020

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a pity that this fascinating and little known part of WWII history, the role of Polish airmen in the allied air forces, has not been written about in a more successful story. The author has done a huge amount of research but it is presented in large chunks which are not successfully integrated into the story. The love story is predictable and there is a lot of repetition. A shame!

[hannah x · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I really couldn’t get into this book. It was interesting to read specifically about Poland in WW2, and Blackpool which isn’t far from home for me. However, in the end I found myself skimming through chapters just so I could finish. The book had too much repetition throughout and there were too many parts of the book which had massive chunks of information which made it feel like I was reading pages and pages of non fiction. I just couldn’t like the characters in the presents day arc but did enjoy the chapters of Tad and his friends and family during the war. This book had some good chapters and good potential if it had focused on Tad’s chapters (in my opinion)

[David Hatton · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all it’s a brilliant story and well worth a read! I thoroughly enjoyed the history and the research which has gone into this book is incredible. I learned so much. I also love that it took me to two places I know so very well... krakow and Blackpool. And it was all based in 2020, prewritten by the author who took us on an alternative journey I think we all wished we’d had last year!

Rachel is still developing as an author and will learn on her way and I know every book she writes which will just get better. My recommendations are as follows for her as a writer (and believe me it’s all from experience as I’ve had similar feedback on my own good reads and comes from a good place):

She’s gone with the show not tell approach to writing which is often advised but she’s done it to the point that she’s put all the facts in conversation which just doesn’t seem plausible. I think some of that background could be in the introduction to a chapter. Someone remembering so many specific details and dates just doesn’t sit right unless they were all specialised historians so when an 18 year old girl comes out with half the facts she did it felt a little like one of those documentaries where the presenters are having a scripted conversation.

The other is that there’s a lot of detail which I really liked but my god was I hungry after each chapter. Every page they were eating something different! Every page they were in a different cafe eating a different meal with so much detail about what they could smell and taste. I’ve put on about a stone with this book.

Other than those two finer points I thought it was a great book. I’ll be buying the marrakech book too as it’s another place I’ve visited and loved and I’m sure the story will be just as compelling! Good luck for your future books Rachel!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely an interesting and emotional read, but I found it hard into. If you don't know much about the history of Poland during the Second World War, there is definitely quite a bit of information, about the the treatment of Jewish people specifically, but also of academics, officers in the army, and generally the country as it struggled with both the Nazis and the Russians. Clare is quite descriptive with her language and paints a picture of the settings and customs. The story follows two timelines. In 1939, Tad is a young man growing up near Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains, but when the war breaks out he leaves his home and family and finds himself in Blackpool, England. On the other hand, Anna, Sarah, and Bella are three generations of English women on a quest to find out more about their ancestry. An interesting perspective around a history that not everyone knows.

I am very conflicted about how I feel about this book, the plot was intriguing, but there is a lot of description, and it did not keep be hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

[Grace Nielsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great story and very informative account of Poland during the second world war though not executed in the best way. The narrative flips between characters but the exposition felt very forced and used lines like "Oh, I think I read about that recently" cue then reeling off info... This was awkward to read. I also understand the great level of respect a subject like this deserves but having the characters constantly refer to "it is our duty", or "I think we owe it to" felt really wishy washy and just not real. To have a character choose a very bizarre path which is not built up to in any relevant way do so because they "feel it is the right thing to do" was just strange and silly in my opinion. It could have been set up better to make this choice become solid but have better foundations. Overall a good story but I was underwhelmed by the telling.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Book Guild and NetGalley for a copy of The Woodcarver of Krakow by Rachel Clare. I’m really torn on this one but I will give it 3 stars. Here’s why I’m torn, the storyline is really good. It’s full of Polish history we recently learned on a WWII History tour of Poland and German. The best I can remember it’s very accurate in the book. It’s told in a back and forth between the present family trying to find out about their past family and the telling of the past Polish family’s story during WWII. Here’s why I couldn’t give it a better rating, it was very repetitious, predictable in places and way too many unneeded descriptive details that only made the story drag. I found it an average read when it could have been a great read with more fine tuning.

[Eszter Szika · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw that there is a historical fiction on NetGalley about Poland I wasn’t hesitating To request it. I spent some years in Poland and it’s always satisfying for me to read more about it’s history and culture.
The Woodcarver of Krakow was beginning a little bit slow for my liking, it needed some time to know more about the characters and the situation. Through a family story we saw not only the lose in Tadesz’ and Jacek’s life but as well as how hard was the life in Poland during the II World War and then in the Russian era.
This novel is a good read for everyone who wants to get an insight about life in Poland during the two eras.

Thank you NetGalley for the free copy

[Maggie Bermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of The Woodcarver of Krakow by Rachel Clare

Two brothers. Bound by a promise. Torn apart by war.
Tadeusz and Jacek Lewandowski are the closest of brothers. After the tragedy of losing their mother and with their father in the Polish army, they are raised by their grandfather, a skilled wood-craftsman. They enjoy an idyllic childhood in the Tatra Mountains.

I found the book slow to start with but persevered as wanted to read something different to the normal genre re WW2 (this is manily Polish History of the war). Book did pick up speed as i read it. Its a heartbreaking story of 2 brothers! Make sure have tissues at the ready!

[Catherine Steacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a good story in this book if it was edited better.
The dates of the modern part need altering as it set in 2020, no pandemic, no masks, etc. It is as if the storyline was happening in parallel universe.

[Geddy O'Mahony · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice read but I agree with others that it was a bit of a history lesson with a couple of love stories thrown in.