Against a Crimson Sky
Page 47
Anna,” he said, “is it you?”
“It is, Jan.—It is no dream.”
“Good God, Michał!” Jan cried out suddenly, rearing up. “You let me sleep for my homecoming.”
“The doctor said you should sleep!”
“If you hadn’t pulled me from the river, I’d give you a good thrashing! Now help me get out of this coffin. It’s not my time yet, by God!”
Michał and Anna both assisted him in getting out as Barbara ran forward to kiss him.
“You can hug me, too, Basia,” Jan said, his arms going about her. “I won’t break. Three Russian bullet holes but the doctors swear I’ll survive.”
As he released his daughter, his eyes came back to Anna. His hand reached out to tenderly touch the roundness of her belly. “You have me back, Anna,” he said. “You have me back.”
Ignoring the tears that wet her cheeks, Anna reached up to Jan, drew his face to hers, and kissed him. It was a kiss that transported her to an autumn meadow long ago in H
Epilogue
She who is Satisfied with Little
Is not so Poor as She Who
Never has Enough.
—-Polish Proverb
3 May 1814
My dear Zofia,
I pray you and Iza are well. My love comes to you both.
Pass on my warmest congratulations to Jan and Anna on the birth of their son Józef. The prince would have been proud to have been his namesake.
No doubt, you have heard of our defeats at the hands of our enemies. Even France itself is lost. The emperor has abdicated and the old Bourbon rule is being reestablished. The old order has won out.
So the Duchy of Warsaw is no more? Everything is relative, is it not? Just as we mourned each partition of the old Poland and grumbled about the duchy, I suspect that whatever plan the allies construct for us, we will come to feel sentimental for the dear old duchy.
Zofia, you have written to me of your love, and I have taken your words into battle with me. In my lowest moments, they lift me up. Know that I love you, that I always have loved you. I don’t wish to hurt you.
However, today we arrived on the little island of Elba, the miniature kingdom the allies have deigned to grant Napoléon. He seems to have already won over the twelve thousand residents who, aside from fishing, exist on the lead, granite, and iron industries.
This pitiful little place is a far cry from the emperor’s dream of uniting the mainland of Europe. Quite a comeuppance!
And yet I cannot help but feel the allies have been too lenient—when I look at it through their eyes. Elba will quickly bore an emperor used to so much more. He brought with him his chefs, musicians, and two of his favorite singers, but he will never be content here.
Yet, here we are. And so, I must tell you that I will not be coming home—at least any time soon.
You will ask me why I have followed him into his exile. You will upbraid me, as you did Prince Poniatowski when he followed Napoléon, passing up Aleksandr’s offer of a crown. You will call it a suicidal bravery—or a lethal sort of honor, so typical of the Poles. And I can understand that.
But you see, Zofia, the emperor was allowed some sixty guards to accompany him into exile. Napoléon chose the Polish Lancers, Zofia. There were those who refused and who are on their way home even now. But I could not refuse—even though I hear you scoffing at me across the continent.
I could not refuse.
I hope that you understand, my love.
Paweł
Author’s Note
Push Not the River was based on the actual diary of Countess Anna Maria Berezowska, translated by her descendant, John A. Stelnicki. The countess began keeping a diary when her life, like the Polish nation itself, fell into a downward spiral. With strength and spirit, both she and her country faced, endured, and survived unimaginable trying times.
Push Not the River took her story to the end of the diary. When asked to write a sequel, I considered the surviving characters and imagined how their lives might have played out during the fascinating Napoleonic period. Knowing my characters so well after living with them for years made the task of writing Against a Crimson Sky less daunting than I had thought it would be at the outset. After studying the history of Poland in that era, I wanted to first outline the story in full and then fill in the details. But my characters would not cooperate. They had minds of their own and they had to take me through their story. I consider myself blessed that they did.
Reading Group Guide Questions
Against a Crimson Sky explores the theme of power—within and between nations, within and between characters. Where does this theme seem to resonate the most?
Calling Paweł’s love for her a “God-like love,” Zofia wonders how Paweł could still love her despite her many faults. Does his unconditional love ring true?
With the adoption of Anna’s son Jan Michał by Jan and the subsequent birth of Tadeusz, a son of both Anna and Jan, are Anna’s concerns and fears regarding a blended family valid? What about Jan’s fears and concerns?
Anna recalls her Aunt Stella’s saying that “before there are countries, there are families.” How does Anna’s evolving family affect her great patriotism? How does her patriotism affect her family?
Military service separates Jan from Anna for years at a time. How does the separation impact their marriage? What does it take for a marriage to survive prolonged absences?
The proverb “Sweet to the inexperienced is war” opens Part Four. How is this truism borne out in the novel? Does the statement resonate today?
By the time Lutisha dies, death is no stranger to Anna. What strength is Anna able to draw from the “darkness of death” that shadows her?
Charlotte advises Zofia that if one thinks of the past without regrets and the future without fear, she will be near contentment. Are regrets and fears the cause of Zofia’s lack of contentment? Is she still likely to find contentment?
With the final Partition of Poland in 1795, Poland ceased to exist, only to revive 123 years later, like a flower long dormant. What characteristics of the culture and characters depicted in Against a Crimson Sky might foreshadow such an amazing reemergence of a nation?
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