They Called Us D.P.s - Paperback

by Alicja R. Edwards (Author)

In August 1942, after having spent three years under Russian slave labor, thousands of Polish citizens are exiled to Iran under the Sikorski-Mayski Agreement. Alicja Moskaluk, her brother Jerzy, and their mother Maria are three of those D.P.s - Displaced Persons. At Camp #1 near the city of Tehran, Alicja, a clever, charming and slightly obstinate girl of 17 braves the camp regulations as well as the social customs of their host country of Iran - and pretty much anything that threatens to hold her back. Alicja is determined to find the life and the freedom that was stolen from her by the cruelty of the Soviet war machine. Alicja's a good student in the refuge school [except maybe when it comes to her nemesis, that 'monster' Algebra], so she and the other girls of Camp #1 find plenty of spare time to explore the boundaries of being refugees and no longer slaves. After two years at Camp #1, Alicja is assigned to work the mess hall at the US Army camp at Khorramshahr, Iran where she meets her future husband Lieutenant Ernest 'Edmund' Edwards. From that meeting, her long desired freedom begins to unfold.

Author Biography

Alicja Edwards, well known author of AND GOD WAS OUR WITNESS, first in a series of WWII memoirs, is a long time citizen of the United States and current resident of Eureka, Montana. She is acknowledged for her skills as an artist, antique dealer and continues to enjoy her life long passion as a pianist. She was born and grew up in a small town in Eastern Poland until the age of sixteen. In 1939 Germans declared war, Poland was occupied by the Soviets and she and her family were sent to Kazakhstan into forced labor for three agonizing years. After being liberated and transported to Iran, Alicja met her Army husband, Lt. Ernest E. Edwards, and came to the United States as a war bride. After traveling the world as an "army wife' she settled in Midlothian, Illinois to raise a family until the death of her beloved husband of fifty years. She has two children: a son born in Japan, Chris Edwards who is a Vietnam veteran, retired architect and Native American enthusiast currently residing in Montana with his family - Jane Woods, Stone and Miranda Edwards; and a daughter born stateside, Tina Zagone, dancer, naturalist and editor/adviser for both books of memoirs who continues to enjoy life in Chicago with Chris Greiner, also a writer and teacher at Columbia College. Living in the wilds of Montana, with suitcases out of sight, Alicja still dreams about places she has lived in, with hopes of transposing them into yet another book of memoirs.