22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson

22 Britannia Road

Amanda Hodgkinson

An enjoyable and moving tale of love, separation and survival, set in war torn Europe. Polish couple Janusz and Silvana struggle to make a safe and secure home for their son in postwar Ipswich while coming to terms with what has gone before.

Extract
Victoria Station is huge, and even at seven in the morning the place is noisy and full of lost people who grab Janusz by the elbow and ask him questions he can’t answer. He wipes the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and checks his watch. He has been practising what to say to her when he sees her. ‘It’s been a long time’ is what he thinks he will say. It sounds casual and yet full of meaning.
Parallels
  • Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks
  • The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
  • Defiance - the film