POLAND a novel

Boyle Park Media opens with a feature, followed by glimpses into faith, family, and thought.

Feature

“… whitewashed by several orders of magnitude …”

Poland by James Mitchener

I just finished reading Poland, by James Mitchener. (note: “reading” for me is now listening on Audiobook).

I feel compelled to write a Book Review. This is the first that I have ever done since the “book reports” that I wrote in school and that was a long time ago.

Over the past two years I have been consuming a lot of the classics and particularly history in novelized form. “A Tale of Two Cities,” “War and Peace,” “The Brothers Karamazov,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Hawaii,” ”The Source,” “Lonesome Dove” and many more …

As I read more, I have discovered both an ignorance and a yearning for more European history.

“Poland” kept showing up as one of Mitchener’s finest works. I was reluctant because I realized the book would bring me, once more in my life, face to face with the Holocaust. On the other hand, the summary did promise me “In this sweeping novel, James A. Michener chronicles eight tumultuous centuries as three Polish families live out their destinies.”

The first seven centuries covered by Mitchener featured detailed, colourful history, however, the development of the characters and the families was not at the same level as I had experienced in some of his other works, such as “Hawaii.”

Then comes the Twentieth century …

What an epic examination of the century that I was born into! What tremendous flashes of relevance as we navigate the world of 2026!

Relevance to 2026 (#1): I see periodic memes that draw a comparison between Adolph Hitler and Donald Trump. Have no doubt, Adolph Hitler must be whitewashed by several orders of magnitude in order for the comparison to even start to be relevant. This serves only the Holocaust deniers.

Relevance to 2026 (#2): As the “Democratic Socialists” of the 2^nd half of the Twentieth Century began to encourage unions to improve life for the factory workers and ship builders of the cities, they also were firm that farmers could never unionize because they would hold the “power of food” over the heads of the city folks. This tug of war between urban and rural has been part of Canada’s fabric for 150 years. This struggle between the Urban, with their factories and transportation, and the Rural with their food and essential minerals, continues at a high tension today.

In 2026 we have a world of memes which purport to “help us think.” I am truly a fan of the historical novel, in this case “Poland,” to also add perpective to our 21st century Thinking Disciplines.