A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True

By: Brigid Pasulka

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

The novel opens on the eve of World War II. In the mountain village of Half-Village, a young man nicknamed the Pigeon, under the approving eyes of the entire village, courts the beautiful Anielica Hetmanska. But the war's arrival wreaks havoc in all their lives and delays their marriage for six long years. Nearly 50 years later, their granddaughter, Beata, leaves Half-Village for Krakow, the place where her grandparents lived as newlyweds after the war and the setting of her grandmother's most magical stories. Beata yearns to find her own place in this new city, one that is very different from her imagination and the past. Her first person insight into a country on the cusp of change--and the human toll of Poland's rapid-fire embrace of capitalism--transports readers to another world.

When two unexpected events occur, one undeniably tragic, and the other a kind of miracle, Beata is given a fresh glimpse at her family's and her country's, history and a vision of her own essential role in the New Poland. With the effortless, accomplished grace of a gifted storyteller, Pasulka weaves together the two strands of her story, re-imagining half a century of Polish history through the legacy of one profound love affair--that of the Pigeon and Anielica--which readers won't soon forget.

©2009 Brigid Pasulka (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Enjoyable, Romantic and Informative

Really an amazing book. Excellent character development. There are few books I've read that speak to two different generations at once. Written from the heart and mostly light, I would recommend!

Also, there was amazing narration, especially for a language that is not easy at all!

Delightful!

I loved how the author told the story from both ends. The alternating chapters worked well so that you weren't left in suspense too long on each story line, yet it never felt fragmented. The narrator did a wonderful job with the Polish accents and with the sprinkling of Polish idioms such that you knew what "dupa" meant! This was a sweet love story told with a good dose of the culture in which it takes place, both past and present.

An interesting story

Although I did enjoy this story it bounced back and forth quite a bit and I found it a bit confusing at times. Once I was able to grasp the connection of characters (which I felt was delayed) , the story improved. I I had the feeling at times I was missing something. Entertaining and good narration overall but my recommendation is mediocre. Perhaps if you enjoy this time period, you might get more out of it and you may find it more enjoyable.

Endearing

This audio was truly endearing to listen too. The narration was amazing how she went back and forth in her polish accent. I like to listen to a story and get totally enveloped in it and this story did just that. I have been studying a little Polish history and this helped me learn a bit of what the heart knows. I recommend this audiobook.

Lyrical and lovely

I bought this book because I had an much-loved extended family member who escaped Poland in September 1939 as a young girl. Her stories were terrifying, exciting, tragic and fascinating all at once.
This book exceeded my expectations. The narrator is the best I've listened to since Ralph Cosham's death. Her accents, character distinctions and pacing were spot-on.
As to the storytelling, I was drawn in and happily immersed in the parallel stories. The descriptions writing was nearly poetic. I rarely review a book and even more rarely do I consider one worthy of five stars in all categories. But this one is equal to my two favorite contemporary stories: City of Thieves (David Benioff) and Bel Canto (Ann Patchett.)

Three generations come of age in Poland

This is a beautifully-told, slowly-unfolding story of how the sacrifices of several families of Polish country people during WWII laid a foundation for the future generations of their families. There are two parallel stories. The grandparents' story in the WWII era sets the scene for the granddaughters' era in the 1990s.

The only factor that kept me from giving this novel five stars across the board is that it is excessively long. The grandparents' story is beautifully crafted and paced, but the story of the granddaughters contains some repetitive scenes that could have used some editing. The narrator is excellent and her nuanced storytelling skills kept me engaged during the tedious portions of the story. I would not have enjoyed the story as much if I had read the book. Still, it's a heartwarming tale and an interesting glimpse into the social and political changes in Poland from the 40s through the 90s.

Lovely Love Story

This is a love story that fell into my heart and warmed it so well.

Interesting and well performed

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Not sure that any of my friends would enjoy, but someone who appreciates historical fiction would.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True?

When I finally pieced together WHO Beata's grandfather was.

Have you listened to any of Cassandra Campbell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't think so, but I thought she did an amazing job bringing the two stories within this story together. I liked how she differentiated the two by changing her accent and dialect.

Who was the most memorable character of A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True and why?

The Pigeon.

Any additional comments?

This was a perspective of the war and Poland that I hadn't experienced before. I especially appreciated the pride in their country and culture the characters in this story possessed. So many accounts of WWII, as far as Poland goes, end it at the end of WWII. One assumes that things improved then for the Polish. In fact, things are only now somewhat improving for them. This story takes the reader all the way to the 1990's. It brings together and connects the generations from the turn of one century to the turn of the next.

Never Got Off the Starting Line

The story is Ok but there is no real reveal or climax. Touching at times.

I love the narrator

This a well written, marvelously narrated story of life in Poland during WW II, the communist era, and Poland coping with capitalism and personal freedom. The books move back and forth from the 1990s to the pre-war Poland. By the end the two meet. I enjoyed the perspective of rural Poland confronting the Nazis and urban Poles dealing with the Communists in the late 1940s and early 50s, but the book did not truly engage me until the last three hours. Had it not been for Cassandra Campbell's narration I would have quit listening before I reached the half-way point. I'm glad I kept going. 3 and 1/2 stars to 4