No Path Home: Katerena's Story

by Halya Furgala

A true and inspirational story of survival. Aged just 15 years old Katerena is a naïve but high-spirited young girl whose small world, a traditional rural village on the Ukrainian/Polish border, is turned upside down by the Second World War. It is invaded in turn by Germany, then Russia, then Germany a second time when the German-Russian Alliance breaks down. Her only comforts are her family and village, but she loses both when she is taken to be a forced labourer in wartime Nazi Germany. No Path Home begins with a look at Katerena’s ancestral history in the region of Halychyna (Galicia); a geographic and historical region at the crossroad of Eastern and Central Europe. We see how different life was in the pre-war years, and how it had remained constant for generations with progress often passing them by. Katerena, in her own words, describes her childhood, growing up in a hard-working but vibrant village with recollections of family, the scrapes she got into, the rich traditions and customs, and the colourful characters surrounding her. This harsh but peaceful existence disappears when her homeland becomes a victim to 20th Century tyrants Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. We follow Katerena as she is taken from her family to face forced labour in Germany. Despite her childhood being cut short, this teenager, with perseverance and humour, is determined to survive the carnage surrounding her. She gives a detailed picture of life in German labour camps, as we share her trials and tribulations but also the colourful characters and camaraderie. She survives the war with the desperate desire to return to her family and her village, but at war’s end, returning home is not as simple as she had imagined. There is seemingly no path home to the life she had once known. Katerena’s recollections were recorded and translated over several years. She has a gift for telling her story with colour, simplicity and emotion. No Path Home is an informative and enthralling account of the Second World War from a different perspective. To this account I add the historical context every step of the way. This story holds special appeal for those descendants of Eastern European immigrants eager to gain knowledge of their parents’ and grandparents’ wartime experiences. Many spoke little of the horrors they endured to their children, keen to leave the past behind them and start afresh in new countries around the world. This is a troubling yet fascinating tale of resilience, the power of family and friendship and of the evils of war faced by ordinary people who lived through extraordinary times.

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2020

Reviews

[SD Collins-Cresp · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential read to explore the ostarbeiters path from their home towns to far off lands as displaced people. With so many stories detailing the harrowing journey of Jewish Holocaust survivers, this is a necessary read to understand the mostly untold story of eastern workers stolen from their homes into forced labour during the terrible history of World War II.

[Kathy Kostuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Story A Biography A History

This book, while written and dictated, filled in the gaps of a life that spanned many countries during a horrific time to be Ukrainian. It is heart warming and insightful. As these accounts are personal first hand accounts were are all fortunate to get to experience this book and the life it depicts. Many of our ancestors would not talk about those days that were so painful. To have this glimpse of what it was truly like is a treasure. Thank you Halya for the effort and courage to chronicle Katerena’s Story.

[bookishwonder · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a historian of this subject you don't come across books very often that really stand out in the expression, personality, and feeling of their account. This book is an exception. A wonderfully written and incredibly touching account of a young girl's journey through war-torn Europe, 'No Path Home: Katerena's Story', does the most important thing that any memoir or biography can do- it brings the subject to life in bright, loud, wonderful colour, stripping back the years and allowing the reader to travel alongside Katerena through the dangerous, traumatic, and challenging years of World War Two.

Through her words, the years fall away, and the reader spends the length of the book in Katerena's company, hearing her laughter and joy and feeling the weight of her sadness, experiencing the vibrant colour of her personality. She is the very best company to be in.