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Reviews
The Blacksmith of Vilno: A Tale of Poland in the Year 1832 by Eric P. Kelly, Angela Pruszynska
susannam's review
3.0
I've been looking at the spine of this book for most of my life - it belonged to my mother - and I grabbed it impulsively as I was looking for reading for a week-long trip I'd be taking. It was published in 1930 and is a children's book (young adult).
The plot is engaging and the outcome for the main characters is satisfying. The writing is sometimes dated and florid. If the book's merits rested only on these elements, I wouldn't recommend it. But, what I did find interesting and noteworthy was having the chance to get a glimpse of Polish life as it was in the early 1800's. The author's love of and respect for the Poles (and Lithuanians) is palpable.
Mostly, I found reading the book was a little like examining an artifact. I imagine the author may have been aware of dark times ahead in that part of the world, and this book tells of a more innocent and noble time.
The plot is engaging and the outcome for the main characters is satisfying. The writing is sometimes dated and florid. If the book's merits rested only on these elements, I wouldn't recommend it. But, what I did find interesting and noteworthy was having the chance to get a glimpse of Polish life as it was in the early 1800's. The author's love of and respect for the Poles (and Lithuanians) is palpable.
Mostly, I found reading the book was a little like examining an artifact. I imagine the author may have been aware of dark times ahead in that part of the world, and this book tells of a more innocent and noble time.
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