First published 2018
In 1941, Polish officer Józef Czapski is released from a Soviet prison camp and tasked with gathering accounts of his fellow Polish prisoners' fates. Blocked at every turn by the Soviet authorities, Czapski uncovers the horrifying truth: thousands of Polish officers have been massacred in the Katyn Forest. As Czapski helps form the Polish army and leads them on a grueling trek to the Italian front, his memoir brims with searing personal accounts, literary reflections, and the unbreakable spirit of his countrymen.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, non-fiction, military-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: based-on-true-events, historical-figures
Setting: Katyn Forest, Poland, Soviet Union
Period: 1941
400 pages · Paperback · NYRB Classics
Content warnings: death, violence, war