Saturday, August 23, 2014

The Witzke Woman

The Witzke Woman
Allan Marriott

Allan Marriott has an extensive background in
education, community development and primary health.
He is the author of: A Bridge Over: The story of John Masters,
veteran fighter, (non-fiction 2009 and 2nd edition 2010);
Mud Beneath My Boots: The poignant memoir of the effects of
war on a young New Zealander, (non-fiction 2005) – both
highly acclaimed; Joshua, (fiction 1992), and The Prance of
Men, (non-fiction 1988).

Juliana Witzke, the mother of Len Coley who features in
Mud Beneath My Boots, is the heroine of this novel which
gradually knits together the trauma of her early years with
her last ones.

In 1876, nine year old Juliana Witzke arrives in New
Zealand from Poland on a German immigrant ship. She is
quarantined on Somes Island before landing in Wellington.
Juliana is lonely as her beloved mother has not travelled
with her. From her mother she has acquired a great love
of Poland and its history and poetry. It is this that sustains
her through her losses. And as a child, Juliana dreams of
climbing the stairs and influencing the world a little.

At the end of World War II, Juliana Collins, now
elderly, is desperate to keep her links with her homeland.
Its devastation through two world wars fuels her dreams to
return. Despite 70 years in New Zealand she has never lost
her love of Poland. Confined to hospital, Juliana plans for at
least something of herself to return there.

As an adult, Juliana is belittled because of her passion
for Poland and its poetry. But she refuses to be a ‘common
Polish sparrow’. She holds on proudly to her heritage,
uncovers a reason for an imagined link with the Polish
resistance and discovers how close she can come to killing.
Juliana finds friendship and support from two very
different women friends and two of her younger sons,
especially Len, the war veteran and her special confidant in
the last days of her life.

The Witzke Woman is an historical journey through
which strength faces betrayal, passion meets prejudice, and
hope lies among promises. It draws on events from opposite
sides of the world as it brings Poland into a New Zealand
landscape.


RRP....................$29.99
Size....................234mm x 153mm (portrait)
Extent................ 200 pages
Binding...............Limp with flaps

ISBN..................978-1-927167-16-8
Wily Publications

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