Those Who Trespass Against Us - Karolina Lanckoronska

Title: Those Who Trespass Against Us Author: Karolina Lanckoronska Genre: Non-fiction, ww2 Rating: 7/10 # pages: 294 Date read: February, 2008

Summary: Born in Vienna in 1898, Karolina Lanckoronska was an aristocrat and art historian who taught at the University of Lwow. When the Soviets came to occupy the city, Lanckoronska became active in the Polish resistance. She was arrested in 1942, imprisoned and sentenced to death before being incarcerated, first in Stanislau then in Lwow and Berlin. She was finally placed in a concentration camp in Ravensbruck.

As a Countess, Lanckoranska was subjected to varying treatment, at times suffering near starvation, only to receive extra food and medical care at other times according to the often-conflicting concerns of the authorities in Berlin. With the intervention of some influential friends, the honourable actions of one Nazi, and efforts by the Swiss scholar Carl J. Burckhardt, she was eventually released.

Throughout her imprisonment, Lanckoronska remained defiantly resilient, loyal to Poland and committed to her fellow prisoners.

Review: While an interesting enough plot, the writing was unfortunately very dry and at times even dull and it therefore took me ages to read it. I'd still recommend it though, as you seldom hear much of World War 2 from a Pole's point of view, and I therefore learned a lot about how their fight wasn't just with the Nazi's, but with the Communists as well.

However, it utilized one of my major bookish pet peeves: an excessive use of other languages in a book. When writing a book stick to one language! People reading the book know very well that General Whatever really speaks German, but it's been translated for the book for our benefit - there's no need to have half of his conversation be in German! I can understand it when there are words/phrases that just don't work well in the translated language, but writing "Los!" instead of "Go!" just comes across as both pompous and pointless.

Book List

Nothing Lasts Forever - Sidney Sheldon

Title: Nothing Lasts Forever Author: Sidney Sheldon Genre: Chick-lit Rating: 4/5 # pages: 298 Date read: February 2008, April 2025

Dr. Paige Taylor is on trial for the mercy killing of a patient (Did she off the guy for his fortune?); the action then flashes back five years, when Paige and two other female doctors meet as first-year residents at a San Francisco hospital. Paige is the dedicated one, Kate Hunter ("Kat") an African American whose aunt inspired her to lofty ambitions ("You can be anything you want to be. It's up to you") and Betty Lou Taft ("Honey"), the plain Southern belle whose diligent application of techniques gleaned from the Kama Sutra has assured her a professional niche. The trials and tribulations of both patients and medicos include suspenseful operations, natural deaths, murder and suicide.


After slugging my way through Those Who Trespass Against Us I needed something light, and this one fit the bill perfectly. Sidney Sheldon is always good for a quick and entertaining read, and as I also love reading about the life at a hospital I greatly enjoyed it.

Reread 2025: Sidney Sheldon writes ridiculously readable books, and I finished this in just a few hours - but I had forgotten how incredibly unrealistic it is in places. You definitely have to make huge allowances for it, or you'll read it with a permanent eye-roll - from the insta-love romances (from nothing to proposal in less than a month), through the doctor sleeping her way to an education to the extremely questionable medical and legal practices.

Fortunately I was prepared for all of these, and I love reading about life at a hospital (realistic or not), so greatly enjoyed the book regardless. Oh, and I love Dr. Barker on the witness stand!