COLUMBIA, Md. – Dr. Larissa Zaleska Onyshkevych has published a memoir of World War II, as experienced by a child in Ukraine, and then as a refugee in Slovakia, Austria and Germany. The book depicts daily life under two dictatorial regimes, Soviet and then Nazi, with interrogations, arrests and threats of executions, sheltering of Jews, a Nazi internment camp and post-war threats of repatriation.
Included also is a detailed description of life in postwar displaced persons (DP) refugee camps and how this affected young students psychologically, academically and, later, professionally.
Despite the horrors of war and life of a refugee, the author stresses positive aspects along her journey. Of special interest is the emphasis she places on the kindness of many friends, as well as quite a few strangers, who often went out of their way to help the refugees.
“Borders, Bombs, and… Two Right Shoes” will be of special interest to young adults and the general public, as well as historians appreciating many historical details and war situations as experienced by average individuals.
The book contains 30 pages of notes providing historical background related to the described events, as well as sketches, by the author’s friends, who had experiences similar to hers. It includes five maps, 78 photographs and documents, two timelines (historical events and the family’s odyssey), a glossary and an index of names.
“Borders, Bombs, and… Two Right Shoes” by Dr. Onyshkevych may be particularly useful for classroom discussions with young adults or book club members.