Domovoy

By Joanna Hardej

Forced to leave their home in south-east Poland on 10 February 1940, Władek and his family are deported to the frozen wastes of Siberia, where they experience extreme hardship and terrible loss. After a perilous journey through Kazakhstan, during which further tragedy strikes, he and his sister, Hania, end up in a Polish orphanage in India. Władek’s survival may depend on a very unusual little person who becomes his guide and protector.
Based on a true story…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Mar 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781528998482

Joanna Hardej

Joanna Hardej has worked in nursery and primary education for over twenty years, helping children who learn English as an additional language. The daughter of Poles who were forced to leave their homeland many years ago, she is particularly interested in the plight of refugees. She also enjoys illustrating children’s books, and is a keen pianist and member of a choral society.

Book preview

Domovoy

Joanna Hardej

Austin Macauley Publishers

Domovoy

About the Author

Dedication

Copyright Information ©

Acknowledgement

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

About the Author

Joanna Hardej has worked in nursery and primary education for over twenty years, helping children who learn English as an additional language. The daughter of Poles who were forced to leave their homeland many years ago, she is particularly interested in the plight of refugees. She also enjoys illustrating children’s books, and is a keen pianist and member of a choral society.

Dedication

To all those people who have been displaced by

war or conflict.

Copyright Information ©

Joanna Hardej (2021)

The right of Joanna Hardej to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other-wise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781528998475 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781528998482 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2021)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5LQ

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank my dad for persevering with this project, in spite of having to relive some very painful memories.

This story is based on the childhood experiences of the author’s father, a refugee from Poland who was orphaned during World War II. Like many of today’s refugees, he was forced to travel hundreds of miles, and endured many horrific things.

On 10 February 1940, the Soviet authorities forcibly removed 218,000 people from their homes in Eastern Poland and sent them to Siberia. It is estimated that by the end of World War II, almost two million Poles had been cruelly deported in this manner, never to see their homes again.

Guide to the pronunciation of Polish letters:

w, like the English ‘v’

ł, like the English ‘w’

ż and rz, like the French ’je’

ś, like the English ‘sh’

c, pronounced ‘tz’

ó, pronounced ‘oo’

j, like the English ‘y’