Even bad times are good

Zofia Puszkarow

I enjoyed reading "Even the Bad Times Are Good” by Zofia Puszkarow and in my opinion, this author has created a very entertaining compilation of true-life stories in Poland during the last three decades of the 20th Century that are captivating, intriguing, humorous, emotional, and remarkably entertaining.   I felt this new author writes in a fresh style telling interesting stories, one of which I enjoyed was titled, “The Cats,” and here is a brief excerpt to show you this author’s writing style and a glimpse into her personality,   “…Cat Two was black and had a white “tie” and white “socks”. It lived with his family and friends in a garden near Joanna’s house. All the people from the neighborhood but one fed the animals and took care of them. The one who did not do it owned a big, dangerous dog and liked to shout,“take hold” and let it chase homeless cats. One day, this killer-creature nearly grabbed the cat, but luckily, he jumped onto a tree branch and escaped certain death. Two days later, the poor cat broke a bone in his rear paw, falling from the roof of a nearby cottage. I took him home, and it stayed with us in our apartment on the 4th floor of a ten-story high-rise block. We called him Kitokota. Both the cats lived longer than Mom.”   I felt this author provides a kaleidoscope of experiences in Poland during this era covering various events such as, life in Poland in the 1970s, the Winter of the Century, an explosion in the very heart of Warsaw, Pope John Paul II first visit to Poland, Martial Law, The Nobel Peace Prize of 1983, Chernobyl, and much more.   Anna Quindlen has said in her book, “How Reading Changed My Life” and as I read this book, I thought how difficult it is to travel during the pandemic, and this book is an enjoyable trip to Poland giving insight into the author’s personality as well as the people of Poland. I felt this book is an intriguing escape, especially if you happen to be in a lockdown situation.   In my opinion, the stories are concise and focused, and entertaining to read.   All in all, I liked the realism, and the down-to-earth manner of the stories in the book, and the way the author writes these stories. Enjoyed it!   It was my pleasure to receive a free copy of this book but that does not in any way affect my opinions in this review of this exceptional book.   We posted our review on Goodreads, and our social media and we have submitted the review to Amazon. You can use our review any way you wish and thank you for your interest in our site and we wish you great success with your book and your future books! Best to you, Bruce Miller