Powerless in Poland: Growing up under the Nazi Regime

by June Triana-schiada

Overview

Riga, Latvia 1939: George hears about a campaign called "Heim ins Reich" masterminded by Hitler himself, promising an exciting journey across the ocean to what is supposedly his families "Homeland." As a happy, inquisitive 11-year-old, he embraces the adventure until he finds out there is no return. Thrown into a life forced upon them by the Third Reich, along with thousands of other Baltic Germans, the family confronts survival in a violent dictatorship.

When the Reich relocates the family to a Bakery in German Occupied Poland, George learns of the clever seduction ethnic Germans experience to entice their allegiance to the Fuhrer and the Nazi Party. Delivering day-old bread to the Lodz Ghetto each morning unveils more truths behind what the Nazi Regime plans for the world. When the family flees the Red Army's approach in 1945, they must make another horrific exodus for freedom.

Inspired by true events, this story follows George's coming-of-age in a dark place no one could imagine a child should ever be. And even in that place, he never loses hope.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940185582817
Publisher:	Barnes & Noble Press
Publication date:	12/02/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	553,156
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

A “Baby Boomer” born in 1951, June is the daughter of an ethnically mixed couple who met in Post WWII-Germany. Her mother, Lilly, of German descent and her father, John, of Latino roots, brought their children up with an appreciation for different traditions.
Although Lilly and John had expectations for the children to learn their native languages, an ongoing argument about which tongue to teach them first resulted in no lessons at all. However, life was rich in other cultural interests.

To this day, June cannot serve the Thanksgiving Turkey without Grandpa’s “Brown Sauerkraut” or consider a meal complete without a tortilla! With her love of cooking, she dug deep into the family recipe box, learning how to make “Spekrausi” (except she only knew them as Bacon Rolls) and the best Chorizo Eggs and Enchiladas in town.

Her memories of visiting the “Bavarian Villages” with Grandpa & Grandma Marienfeldt and George will always be special. George taught her how to polka at a young age. Then the next weekend she would traipse off with Grandpa and Grandma Triana to Olvera Street in Los Angeles for shopping and taquitos.
Although she was born and raised in California, June took it upon herself to travel to many far-off places, visiting Europe, Asia, Mexico and the Caribbean. In 2000 she and her little family moved Texas, where she now enjoys the country life with her husband of 30 years. Today she is semi-retired after closing the family’s independent Party Store in 2016.

Within the last few years she wrote, illustrated and published two of her planned five book children’s series about a mischievous little tortoiseshell cat, Pepper and her human, Celeste. She interrupted the series with this passion project that started in 2021.

In September that year, she visited her Uncle in California and recorded many hours of stories about his life during World War II. She knew some of the family’s struggles in Europe, but no one ever talked about what happened in length. June was determined to know! She asked her Uncle George if she could write a novel based on his stories. A few days after she returned to Texas, she fell down the “Research Rabbit hole” and found out Historical Fiction was something else she could write. Intended for the Middle Grade Reader market, she believes the story is compelling enough for any age.

Editorial Reviews

What made this book extra special was the pictures June included at intervals so the reader could not only read the historical true to life version of a family's WWII story but also see the destruction that had rained down upon the beautiful cities and people. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this era and wanting a feel from a true to life story of families who lived through this time.

Amazon - Zoe J