Brigid Pasulka Knihy

Winner of the 2010 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for a distinguished first book of fiction, A Long Long Time Ago and Essentially True is a grand love story and a wonderfully warm-hearted debut about a young woman and her country on the cusp of change.On the eve of World War II in a place called Half-Village, a man nicknamed the Pigeon falls in love with a girl fabled for her angelic looks. Using his 'golden hands' he decides to turn her family's modest hut into a beautiful home, and build his way into her heart.But war arrives, cutting short their charming courtship and bringing with it terrible events.Fifty years on, young Baba Yaga leaves her village to make a new life in Krakow. What she finds is not the city of her grandmother's tales but a place struggling in the aftermath of communism's fall, where opportunity seems reserved for the lucky few. Then tragedy strikes and the past reaches out an unexpected hand to her.What Louis de Bernières did for Kefalonia, Brigid Pasulka does for Poland, weaving together the two strands of her story with a deftly magical touch into a witty, wise and heartbreaking love story that will enchant you to the very end.

Set against the backdrop of World War II, the story follows a young man known as the Pigeon, who falls in love with the enchanting Anielica. He dedicates himself to winning her heart by transforming her family's home, but war interrupts their plans. Fast forward fifty years, their granddaughter Beata embarks on a similar journey to Krakow, only to find a city grappling with its history and future. The narrative weaves themes of love, resilience, and the search for identity in a changing world, blending whimsy with poignant moments.