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A "riveting, heartfelt" novel of love and consequences (Heather Morris), The Snow Hare follows a woman who dreams of becoming a doctor until World War II gets in the way, sweeping her from her small Polish village to the work camps of the vast Siberian forest, where she falls unexpectedly into love--and a fateful choice. Is it possible to fall in love at the edge of life? Lena has lived a long, quiet life on her farm in Wales, with her husband and child at her side. But as her end approaches, memories long buried begin to return. Of her childhood in 1930s Poland, when she was determined to become a doctor. Of the first days of her marriage, reluctant wife to an army officer. Of the birth of her daughter, whose arrival changed everything. Memories less welcome return to her, too. Her Polish town, transformed overnight by the Soviets, and the war that doomed her family to the frigid work camps of the Siberian tundra. And buried in that blinding snow, amongst the darkness of survival, the most fragile memory of all: that of an unspeakably tender new love. Exploring marriage, motherhood, and our incredible human capacity for cultivating hope in the darkest times, The Snow Hare is the story of a woman who dares to love and to dream in the face of impossible odds, and of the peace we each must make with our choices, even long after the years have gone by.
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I was attracted to this one because I really enjoyed the author's previous novel
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23346800-creative-truths-in-provincial-policing
which was a light hearted and surreal farce set in the exotic climes of Vietnam. This one isn't any of those things, but is instead the story of a woman having a terrible time during the WWII occupation of Poland. An afterword explains that it's very close to home for the author, being inspired by the experiences of her grandmother. While it's uncomfortably vivd in the depiction of misery, there is also hope and endurance here, alongside a cast of engaging and believable characters. The contrast with her earlier book demonstrates that Lichtarowicz has a considerable range and taking the two together she should really be better known than she is.