In this polyphonic work of literary non-fiction, Magdalena Kici?ska shifts the gaze from the legendary Dr. Korczak to the inscrutable Pani Stefa. Artfully – in a style reminiscent of Hanna Krall and Agata Tuszynska – the author pieces together a story of a life: a Polish Jewess who spoke French but not Yiddish; a pedagogue who was as demanding as she was self-sacrificing; a lonely woman who rarely in her life had a moment of privacy. In doing so, Kici?ska shows us how it is sometimes the drama of history's minor characters, which can cast the most penetrating light on their world.
For readers interested in history, Jewish studies, education, and social work.
