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My Books

Anna Patrick Author

My Books

As the author of No Going Back and After, my writing is deeply personal, rooted in the extraordinary experiences of my mother, Marta Paciorkowska. Born in 1919, she survived the horrors of Ravensbruck concentration camp during World War II. Unlike many survivors who preferred silence, my mother wanted to share her story, though it wasn't always easy. Over the years, she slowly revealed her experiences to me, often hesitating, but I persevered, knowing how important it was to preserve her memories.

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No Going Back is my way of honoring her courage and resilience, blending historical fact with imagination to create a gripping tale of survival and love. It captures the essence of her life and the challenges she faced during one of Europe's darkest periods.

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In After, I explore another side of the war, through the fictional story of Heinz Bauer, a Gestapo officer caught in the chaos of post-war Germany. This novel reflects my fascination with how ordinary people navigate extraordinary circumstances, much like my mother did.

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Writing these books allowed me to preserve not only my mother’s legacy but also the powerful stories of love, loyalty, and endurance that emerged from such a tumultuous time in history. Through my work, I hope to share these experiences with readers and keep these important stories alive.

My Books

Book Reviews

This really is a cut above the many whether fictionalised or strictly biographical memoirs based on life in Poland during WW2. Harrowing as the experiences described are, the book’s merits as a piece of writing shine through. The author manages to blend pathos with suspense, maintaining narrative drive and psychological realism through a gift for dialogue. To call it a good read is not to minimise the horror of what Marta and other victims of the Nazis lived through.

Bob Dresner, Taken from Goodreads.com

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