A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True - Paperback

by Brigid Pasulka (Author)

On the eve of World War II, in a place called Half-Village, a young man nicknamed the Pigeon falls in love with a girl fabled for her angelic looks. To court Anielica Hetmanskáhe offers up his "golden hands" and transforms her family's modest hut into a beautiful home, thereby building his way into her heart. War arrives to cut short their courtship, delay their marriage, and send the young lovers far from home, to the promise of a new life in Kraków. Nearly fifty years later, their granddaughter, Beata, repeats their postwar journey, seeking a new life in her grandmother's fairy-tale city. But instead of the whispered prosperity of the New Poland, she discovers a Kraków caught between its future and its past. Whimsical, wise, beautiful, magical, and at times heartbreaking, A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True weaves together two remarkable stories, reimagining half a century of Polish history through the legacy of one unforgettable love affair.

Front Jacket

On the eve of World War II, in aplace calledHalf-Village, a young man nicknamed the Pigeon falls in love with a girl fabled for her angelic looks. Tocourt Anielica Hetmanska he offers up his "golden hands" to transform her family s modesthut into a beautiful home, thereby building his way into her heart. Then wararrives tocut short their courtship, delay their marriage, and wreak havoc in all their lives, even sending the young lovers far from home to thepromise of a new life in Krakow.
Nearly fifty years later, their granddaughter, Beata, repeats their postwar journey, seeking a new life in the fairy-tale city of her grandmother s stories. But when she arrives in Krakow, instead of the whispered prosperity of the New Poland, she discovers a city caught between its future and its past, and full of frustrated youths. Taken in by her toughtalking cousin Irena and Irena s glamorous daughter Magda, Beata struggles to find her own place in 1990s Krakow and in the constellation of Irena and Magda s fierce love. But unexpected events-- tragedies and miracles-- can change lives and open eyes. And Beata may just find a new way of seeing her family's and her country's history-- as well as a vision for her own role in the New Poland.Whimsical, wise, beautiful, magical, and sometimes even heartbreaking, A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially Trueweaves together two remarkablestories, reimagining half a century of Polish history through the legacy of one unforgettable love affair. "

Back Jacket

"[A] whimsical debut." New York Times Book Review On the eve of World War II, a young man nicknamed the Pigeon falls in love with a girl fabled for her angelic looks, andbuilds his way into her heart bytransforming her family s modesthut into a beautiful home. But wararrives, cutting short their courtship and sending the young lovers off to thepromise of Krakow.
Nearly fifty years later, their granddaughterrepeats this journey, but instead of the whispered prosperity of the New Poland, she discovers a city caught between its future and its past. Magical, wise, and sometimes even heartbreaking, A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially Trueweaves together two remarkablestories, reimagining half a century of Polish history through the legacy of one unforgettable love affair.

"A gorgeous debut." Chicago Tribune

"Rings hauntingly, enchantingly, real." National Geographic Traveler"With a touch of Marina Lewycka and a dash of Captain Corelli s Mandolin, this is storytelling that gets under your skin and forces you to press copies into your best friends hands." Elle (UK) Brigid Pasulka, the descendant of Polish immigrants, first arrived in Krakow in the early nineties, with no contacts, no knowledge of the language, and only a vague idea of Polish culture. She quickly fell in love with the place, learned Polish, and decided to live there for one year. She teaches English at a Chicago high school. "