Novels of Historical Fiction
by David Trawinski

The Life of Marek Zaczek Volume 1 Under the Wings of Eagles is a historical novel of a peasant boy named Marek. He is born in southern Poland on a Polish Duke's estate (folwark) just outside the village of Wieliczka in 1772, right on the eve of the first of three Partitions of Poland. The novel follows Marek as he grows to become a man of twenty-five. If your grandparents come from Southern Poland, as mine do, you will never visit or think of the famous salt mine of Wieliczka, six miles south of Krakow, in the same fashion ever again. The image of Marek's father laboring in servitude under horribly abusive conditions mining salt will come to mind. Excavations in this Royal salt mine began in the 13th century and continued until 2007. Wieliczka is one of the world's oldest operating salt mines, a 1978 UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the top tourist attractions of Poland. If you take a tour and walk among the grottoes and see the incredibly beautiful salt chapels filled with salt sculptures, you will think of Polish peasants (such as some of my ancestors, no doubt) toiling endlessly in the salty and dusty near darkness. The peasant miners would often spend an entire week underground, often only emerging on Saturday. They would carve the sculptures in the evenings as a way to tolerate their miserable work lives. Marek's father would often bring him a cleverly carved salt toy.

Although his father wants him to become a miner since choice of occupation for peasants is severely limited, Marek shows talent as an equestrian on the Duke's estate, imitating the legendary Winged Hussars of Poland. Many issues are addressed in the book, particularly the rampant political intrigue among the Polish nobility jockeying for power amidst the theft and eventual obliteration of Poland by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, which actually lasted until 1918. Difficult topics such as sexual abuse and sexual promiscuity are described, along with daily life under Austrian oppression, the damage that untold family secrets can cause, and a love story with some unusual twists.

The book is quite lengthy, and is well worth reading for the historical and cultural background and the intertwined story often keeps one glued to the page. Trawinski is an author who certainly writes "intriguing tales of historical fiction" as his web-site mentions. And it is a fun way to help discover/re-discover our Polish heritage. This is the first volume of three, so we will all have to wait to read about the rest of Marek's life when the other volumes appear.

Barbara Betlejewska

Polish American Journal

November 2020

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Polish American Journal Review By Mary E. Lanham

Women Shine in Trawinski's "The Life of Marek Zaczek"

Set against the backdrop of late eighteenth-century Poland, is the first volume of "The Life of Marek Zaczek" by well-known Polish American author David Trawinski. In this volume, the protagonist comes of age during the turbulent times of the partitions of Poland.

Born into a peasant's life on the estate of a duke, Marek Zaczek seems fated to work in a salt mine. As he grows up watching the duke's horses, he develops s love for the animals and soon has his heart set on working with them. As he matures, he becomes infatuated with the idea of becoming like the great winged Hussars.

Marek has aspirations that are above his station, but what he doesn't know about his origins would change his world forever. Marek's mother keeps secrets from him that will turn their lives and the lives of his grandparents upside-down and inside-out. Magda,as his mother is known, is the daughter of a noble couple who were exiled to Russia. The other secret is the truth of Marek's parentage, which she cannot bring herself to reveal to him.

The novel illustrates the cruel way some nobles exerted their power over the peasants that worked their land; The duke viewed the peasants on his estate as his property, which Magda bravely contradicts. Although this novel focuses on Marek, the women in the book, especially Magda, shine as resilient characters as they rally against the hardships they are forced to endure at the hands of men.

To give a larger view of the tumultuous times, Trawinski has the characters of the duke and Count Von Arndt, an acquaintance of the duke, discuss and expound upon the changing world order. With this, the author sets the stage for his cast of assorted characters.

Mary E. Lanham

Polish American Journal

December 2020

"Beware he who wrestles with monsters, lest he become a monster himself!" ... Friedrich Nietzsche

The Chopin Trilogy

Join the excitement that begins with Stanley Wisniewski, a retired CIA operative, being called to investigate an apparent corporate murder in Amsterdam in "The Willow's Bend". Stanley is hunted across Europe by the CIA and Britain's MI6 in "Chasing the Winter's Wind". In this novel, Stanley's backstory is revealed as he is pursued by his protege, Diane "The Huntress" Sterling. And the third novel, "War of the Nocturne's Widow", opens with Diane missing as an Intelligence War between the CIA and Britain's MI6 looms.

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Below are a few comments excerpted from my readers:

"It did not take me long to read these because they were hard to put down once started."

(Unsolicited Website Review of "The Chopin Trilogy")

"After reading your trilogy, I was thoroughly captivated by your storytelling, plot twists and character development!"

(Unsolicited Website Review of "The Chopin Trilogy")

"You had me thoroughly engrossed in Chapter 2 ... As a second generation Polish American, I thoroughly enjoyed..... and even more, I appreciated..... the weaving of the Polish character, culture, history and heritage into the espionage and intrigue of the Chopin Trilogy. Thank you, Mr. Trawinski, for your telling me Stanley's tale."

(Unsolicited Website Review of "The Chopin Trilogy")

"I would love to see this trilogy turned into a mini-series or full-length movie!"

("The Chopin Trilogy")

"The Willow's Bend masterfully works through its protagonist Stanley to take you into Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland, Polish culture, and the inner workings of a modern day large aerospace defense contractor to create an enthralling and captivating read. The clandestine, investigative components of the book easily pull you in for what becomes an exciting and unexpected ending shaped by belief, character, and moral duty."

(Amazon Review of "The Willow's Bend")

"The book tells of the brutal occupation of Poland during WWII and how one's actions of the past can have a powerful influence on the actions of the present. The descriptive passages are wonderfully written. I enjoyed this story immensely."

(Amazon Review of "The Willow's Bend")

"I loved the intrigue and suspense. The author did an excellent job of describing and developing the characters with their devious personalities. I could easily visualize the various locations that the story takes place in. The best mind-blowing element is the twist you do not see coming at the end of the book. I was on the edge of my seat for the last few chapters."

(Amazon Review of "The Willow's Bend")

"This immersive book is brilliantly written and took me on an action packed adventure from DC and CIA headquarters at Langley through parts of Europe including Poland, East Germany, Austria, Italy, and France."

(Amazon Review of "Chasing the Winter's Wind")

"What a well-written and well-thought-out story. It's full of suspense and intrigue. I could not stop reading until I found out how it ended. I was not disappointed, either."

(Amazon Review of "War of the Nocturne's Widow")

"I would love to see this trilogy turned into a mini-series or full-length movie!"

("The Chopin Trilogy")

"I studied very little of the Civil War growing up in Texas. (This) book has done more to explain ... the pain and damage of war are both physical and psychological ... 'Ever Blooms the Rose' captures both sides of the coin in a story of one family ripped apart by war, the mental and medical wounds of which seem unrecoverable ... The historical and geographical research to pull off this book is impressive, and I thoroughly enjoyed (it).

(Amazon Review of "Ever Blooms the Rose")

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The Chopin Trilogy

The Willow's Bend

War of the Nocturne's Widow

Chasing The Winter's Wind

An Aerospace Executive is found drowned in the canals of Amsterdam.

Stanley Wisniewski is a retired CIA officer, called in to solve this mysterious death for the firm that manufactures the CIA's Daedalus Destroyer Drones.

As he investigates, he recalls the three promises he made to his dying father, an Auschwitz survivor:

- Cherish and Care For Your Mother

- Always Remember your Polish Heritage

- Throughout Your Life, Protect The Weak from The Abuses of the Strong

Thus, two stories are concurrently told - Stanley solving the murder of the Defense Executive, and his father's telling of how he was able to survive the horrors of Auschwitz and World War II. The two tales across time intertwine, lighting the fuse to the dramatic climax which takes place in Warsaw.

Historical themes explored include the Nazi and Russian invasions of Poland, the infamous development of the Auschwitz and Birkenau Nazi Concentration Camps, The August 1944 Polish Insurgency (The Warsaw Uprising) and a brief summary of the history of Poland. Pride of the Polish Culture is the central theme.

Set in Baltimore, Washington DC, California, London, Amsterdam and Poland, with the climatic conclusion of both stories taking place in Warsaw's Stare Miasto and Krasiński Square.

204 Pages

Published April 2016

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Chasing The Winter's Wind

War of the Nocturne's Widow

Chasing The Winter's Wind

This novel begins in the closing moments of The Willow's Bend.

Stanley Wisniewski is now being chased across Europe by his former boss, Deputy Director Jack Trellis of the CIA. Stanley knows the excesses of Trellis' greed, and that Trellis wants him silenced forever. Trellis has the search for the aged spy led by Stanley's former protege, Diane "The Huntress" Sterling. Trellis has also added to the team the ominous Special Ops recruit, Carlyle, whose secret mission is to silence Stanley once Diane finds him.

Stanley is driven by his love for the beautiful Agnieszka Danuska, the beautiful wife of Communist Poland's Economic Minister. Stanley recalls the years he spent in Warsaw, developing Agnieszka and her son as the core of his network within the emerging Solidarity Trade Union in Gdansk.

This story deals with the historical events ranging from the 1940 Katyń Massacre to the Gdansk shipyard strikes of 1980, leading to the failure of the Communist State in Poland.

The story is set in Washington DC, London, Berlin, Vienna, Warsaw, Gdansk, Görlitz, Milan and France. The climatic ending takes place in Paris' celebrated Père Lachaise Cemetery at the foot of Frédéric Chopin's tomb.

421 Pages

Published September 2017

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War of the Nocturne's Widow

Diane Sterling is missing, and this fact alone threatens to ignite an intelligence war.

Following the conclusion of "Chasing The Winter's Wind", the CIA cannot locate their agent, Diane, who they have respectfully given the moniker of "The Huntress".

Jack Trellis, Deputy Director of Operations for the CIA suspects Diane is being harbored by his nemesis within the British Secret Service (MI6), George Chartwell.

Trellis fears Diane carries with her his darkest secrets of the Cold War, Project Osiris.

Join your favorite characters returning for this concluding installment of The Chopin Trilogy -the young innocent Polish cultural agent Sophie, the young German Stasi expert Emory Hauptmann, the charming British spy Malcolm Devereaux, the ambitious internet publisher Preston Almesbury, Trellis' CIA adjutant Ellison Redmond, and the ever-erring Dominic Reeves. And, of course, carrying the story from "The Willow's Bend" through this novel is the idealistic Stanley Wisniewski.

The story deals historically with the establishment of the communist state of East Germany after World War II, and their repressive Stasi Secret Police. The history of the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, in the context of events leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, is explored.

The novel is set in Washington DC, London, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Poland. The exciting conclusion takes place in and around Berlin.

230 Pages

Published April 2018

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Novels of Historical Fiction
by David Trawinski

Intriguing Tales of Historical Fiction: