Book details

  • Genre:history
  • Sub-genre:Military / World War II
  • Language:English
  • Pages:124
  • Paperback ISBN:9798317805456

By God's Grace

How the Opilka family survived WWII in Poland

By Barbara Mlotek Whelehan

Overview

The Opilka family lived in Czajkow, Poland when the Germans invaded the country on September 1, 1939. While their village was not immediately targeted by the Germans, the Russians took over the Eastern part of the country. Russian soldiers would appear on the doorsteps of Polish homes, demanding food and a place to sleep. The Poles had no choice but to comply. The Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact, signed in August 1939, was broken in July 1941, and shortly thereafter there was much to fear from both German and Russian forces, as well as other factions vying for Polish land. With eight children, the Opilka family found themselves running to nearby forests for safety. Seven of the children survived. This story chronicles their movements throughout Poland to evade their enemies.
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Description

The Opilka family lived in Czajkow, Poland when the Germans invaded the country on September 1, 1939. While their village was not immediately targeted by the Germans, the Russians took over the Eastern part of the country. Russian soldiers would appear on the doorsteps of Polish homes, demanding food and a place to sleep. The Poles had no choice but to comply. The Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact, signed in August 1939, was broken in July 1941, and shortly thereafter there was much to fear from both German and Russian forces, as well as other factions vying for Polish land. With eight children, the Opilka family found themselves running to nearby forests for safety. Seven of the children survived. This story chronicles their movements throughout Poland to evade their enemies.
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About The Author

Barbara Mlotek Whelehan is a freelance writer, a pastime she enjoys in her retirement years after spending 35 years in the journalism field. She began in the newspaper and magazine industries, including several years as a senior editor at Mutual Funds Magazine. She retired after working seven years as an editor at Bankrate.com, a financial website. This is the third family history she wrote in recent years. For this particular work, she relied heavily on the tales of five siblings -- the Opilka sisters -- who shared their harrowing experiences from World War II. The late Helen Herbst also contributed to the structure and content of the story.
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