The Paris of the East - launched last evening

More than 100 people gathered at Takapuna Library during a blood-moon eclipse to hear author Karen McMillan talk about her new novel, The Paris of the East. Jenny Cole, the Chair of the Friends of the Library, made a thoughtful introduction, before Library Manager Helen Woodhouse and author Karen McMillan took to the stage for a riveting Q&A session. The Paris of the East is Karen’s 8^th published book and she revealed that the book was inspired by a visit to Poland.

‘A Polish edition of my first book Unbreakable Spirit was published a few years ago and I spent a week in Poland promoting the book,’ Karen said. ‘During that time I fell in love with the Polish people I met, and I was spellbound by Poland’s rich and often tragic history. I was compelled to write The Paris of the East after being there. While I was there I met Wanda Poltawska, an astonishing woman in her 90s who survived being a ‘guinea pig’ at the Ravensbruck Concentration Camp after being imprisoned for her work in the Resistance. She was one of number of women who had her leg operated on in senseless and illegal medical experiments. She kindly gave me a copy of the English edition of her memoirs and what struck me about her story was not the horror of the situation, which has been well documented, but rather the inspiring way the camp population at Ravensbruck rounded together to save Wanda and other women who had been operated on by the Nazis. My main character Celina is completely fictional and a very different personality from the real-life Wanda, but I borrowed heavily on Wanda’s account of her time in the concentration camp for The Paris of the East.’

Karen also revealed she spent about a year researching the book, including the daring exploits of the Polish pilots fighting for the RAF, and the tragic Warsaw uprising, all elements of her new historical novel, The Paris of the East.

 Anne, Katherine and Dave from the Publishers Association

 Author Karen McMillan with Margaret Samuels, Helen Howes and Sue Campbell

 Part of the audience

Jenny Cole Chair of the Friends of the Library and Author Karen McMillan

Librarian extra-ordinaire Helen Woodhouse and author