A town of Hull woman has published a book about her youthful years during World War II in occupied Poland, a time of uncertainty and multiple close brushes with death.
Julitta Szczepanska, who moved to the Stevens Point area in 1967, wrote “Litka: A memoir of the war” to tell the story of her life from her birth until her escape to England in 1946. Her daughter, Krystyna Szczepanska-Eiden, who illustrated Julitta’s children’s book, “The Enchanted Forest,” in 2002, provided illustrations for “Litka.”
Julitta thanked her daughter for reviewing her initial manuscript, as well as providing some illustrations.
“I read it and thought she should go back and rewrite it so it was more understandable for someone who didn’t know about the situation,” Krystyna said. “She didn’t describe everything.”
“She wanted me to talk about it being cramped in a box car and things like that,” Julitta said, who admitted that she seemed to always be hungry during those years.
The book also contains photos of Julitta’s family and friends before the war, including a number who died during the occupation of Poland. She said her mother always carried a package of the family photos with her whenever she traveled during the war and after.
Julitta said she was prompted by others to write the book after she told them about her experiences.
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