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Reviewed by Keana Sackett-Moomey for Readers' Favorite
Like Embers in the Night by Andrew Goliszek is an emotional tale that unfolds amid World War II, during Joseph Stalin’s ruthless political authority. It depicts the harrowing encounters of Janek and Wanda, a Polish couple whose lives are mangled by war as they struggle to survive. Even though the story is periodically told through the memories of an elderly Wanda, who resides in a nursing home in Ohio, in 2004, her recollections of those terrifying days are etched in her mind for eternity. She shepherds us into a turbulent timeline when Poland was under siege by the Nazis and the Soviet Union. Janek's and Wanda's once undemanding lives are immediately capsized when they are separated from one another. Janek experiences many atrocities in a Siberian gulag, while Wanda gets sent to a Soviet labor camp. Even though their separation and the dreadful brutalities they witness and undergo are enough to make a person lose their grip on reality, Janek and Wanda's shared love offers them both a glimmer of hope to continue to persevere.
Andrew Goliszek’s Like Embers in the Night is a poignant historical tale that portrays the solidity of the human spirit despite the incredible suffering a person endures. It is also a thought-provoking story about love, faith, and survival during an extraordinarily challenging historical era. Goliszek has produced a literary treasure that is magnetic, heartfelt, and agonizing, and will stay in the hearts of readers long after the story is finished. His evocative depictions of Poland's cultural diversity and the brutal reality of Janek's and Wanda's experiences in the gulags, labor camps, and the war vividly capture the historical context of that period. The complexity and magnificence of their distinct journeys make their tribulations and victories even more relatable. Janek's bravery and Wanda's steady strength make for a powerful force. The story switches between Wanda's past and present experiences. This literary style memorializes human resiliency while masterfully revealing the lingering consequences of intense tragedy, making this novel a certified must-read.
