Introduction

It commences with the German invasion of Poland which changed her life forever. It is the true story of a young girl of ten forcefully removed from her home and country, Poland, during the Second World War, her experiences as she struggled to survive with her mother and brother in the harsh conditions of Southern Siberia, now Kazakhstan, then her journey to safety in the Middle East when she and her family were only able to leave under an amnesty granted by Stalin, the Russian dictator.

Journey to Safety

While her father and brother rejoined the newly freed Polish Army to fight for the Allies, she and her mother travelled through Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran to reach safety. Her mother died in Teheran leaving her to find her way alone to Palestine where her life finally changed for the better.

Life in Palestine and Beyond

In Palestine she was educated and reunited with her father who then took her to resettle in England after the war ended where she trained as a teacher and met her future husband, a New Zealander. After her marriage she continued to travel - New Zealand, Australia, the islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans and finally settled in Australia. She has four children and nine grandchildren and this is the story of the first part of her life.