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Reviewed by Sefina Hawke for Readers' Favorite
Stolen Dreams: A Manchurian Legacy by Julie Kowalska Sormark is a historical memoir that follows the life of Vladislav Kowalski. It would appeal to a diverse audience of young adults and adults who enjoy learning about history and real-world adventurers. When we hear the word adventurer, we tend to think of fictional characters from fantasy movies and books like Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, and Bilbo Baggins. We often forget that real adventurers and explorers exist in history, adventurers like Polish Vladislav Kowalski, who set out to create his own business empire in the remote location of Manchuria, China, from 1898 to 1940. The book follows his efforts through war, rebellion, and occupation with stories, research, and photographs. Are you ready to follow a real-world adventure story?
Stolen Dreams: A Manchurian Legacy by Julie Kowalska Sormark is a very well-written book filled with history and adventure. It kept me both learning and entertained from the beginning to the end because I had to keep reading to see how Vladislav Kowalski's dream would turn out. While I was in it to follow Kowalski, I also found myself learning a lot about the historical time period and the different cultures. I liked the way the author did not make the writing feel like a dry history book, but rather an adventure. The way she interspersed stories, research, and photographs made me become emotionally attached to both the dream and the man, as I could not help rooting for him. Overall, I greatly enjoyed reading this book, and I really hope the author chooses to continue writing in this genre, as she clearly has quite the talent for it.
