26/06/2007

Now, you will be the man of the family... The words which Marta’s dad did not manage to tell her are her best characteristics. A tragic story of the heroine of The Officer’s Daughter is also a tale about the whole generation of teenagers, whose carefree life was ended by the beginning of Second World War.
From 1/09/1939 nothing in Marta’s life was going to be the same and there would be no way back to safe years of happy childhood.
Sent away without a chance to say goodbye to everyone she loves she had to take care of herself and her friends.

When she was arrested and imprisoned in deep woods of Siberia she needed to grow up, to be able to face up challenges of vegetating in lager, USSR prison work camp. She had to learn in a fast way new principles, so different to all she knew before, so against her own believes. When finally there is a light at the of the tunnel, somebody had to pay the highest price which leaves heroine devastated, with deep wound in her heart.
Zina Rohan told a story based on true experience of one of her family members. It is not a memoir though, she spears the readers knowledge about many things which might have happened during stay in Siberia. She also alternates details when she finds it necessary which she explains in Prologue. Still, the story is very moving and personal, unique like every single life is but on the other hand so universal for the whole generation.
Marta’s character, strength, her family background, together with moral support from her friends helps her survive the worst. But not always things are as we may think. The worst nightmare of Soviet prison might not be the worst kind of imprisonment.
Marta’s journey from Poznan to her unknown, uncertain future is so captivating, one just cannot stop reading. The characters are so real, their motives, behaviour, tragic mistakes, passions - it all makes this novel so brilliant. Fate and spontaneous choices made by all the characters cause a lot of difficulties in their lives. Lively language and descriptions help to feel into the climate of all the places Marta travels through, from Polish border, through Soviet union and Persia to foggy London. The ending will surprise you like life surprised Marta so many times.

Justyna Staszek
http://www.polishculture.co.uk/