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Operation Hyacinth: The Story of Forbidden Love
Few outside of Poland are aware that during the 1980's the Polish government orchestrated a cruel anti-gay program that targeted and punished queer people under the code name Operation Hyacinth.
Pawel Kurczab, a gay Polish author, has written a devastating debut novel combining the true history of Poland's discrimination of LGBTQ+ people and his own experiences growing up in Poland, creating a love story in his novel Hyacinth.
The novel follows Kamil, a simple SB officer complicity following orders from the communist party of Poland, weeding out revolutionaries and spreading propaganda. For his loyalty, he's given everything he's ever dreamed of having. One day, Kamil is tasked to participate in Operation Hyacinth, where he must disguise himself to infiltrate the gay community. Little does he know, the operation will change his life forever as he comes to terms with who he really is under a dictatorship that dictates who and what love should be.
Pawel Kurczab, a gay Polish author, has written a devastating debut novel combining the true history of Poland's discrimination of LGBTQ+ people and his own experiences growing up in Poland, creating a love story in his novel Hyacinth.
The novel follows Kamil, a simple SB officer complicity following orders from the communist party of Poland, weeding out revolutionaries and spreading propaganda. For his loyalty, he's given everything he's ever dreamed of having. One day, Kamil is tasked to participate in Operation Hyacinth, where he must disguise himself to infiltrate the gay community. Little does he know, the operation will change his life forever as he comes to terms with who he really is under a dictatorship that dictates who and what love should be.
- GenresPolish Literature
176 pages, Hardcover
Published November 30, 2020
1 person is currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Paweł Kurczab
1 bookAbsolwent Wydziału Socjologii Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego. Przez większość życia związany ze Szczecinem, obecnie zamieszkujący w Wielkiej Brytanii.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 5, 2019
full review in polish
this novella takes place during operation "hyacinth" in communist poland and a quick google search will tell u what that was.
it's great that we're getting books like this, but sadly it just reads like a poorly written first draft. (that's also the reason the ending got me more angry than sad.) the idea for this story was nice actually, i just wish all that potential wasn't wasted on very mediocre writing.
this novella takes place during operation "hyacinth" in communist poland and a quick google search will tell u what that was.
it's great that we're getting books like this, but sadly it just reads like a poorly written first draft. (that's also the reason the ending got me more angry than sad.) the idea for this story was nice actually, i just wish all that potential wasn't wasted on very mediocre writing.
Displaying 1 of 1 review