The Diary of Countess Anna Maria Berezowska

IPPY (Independent Publishers) 2021 award-winning Best European Non-Fiction. An unforgettable literary masterpiece written over 200 years ago by a remarkable woman during the struggle and fall of Europe's first attempt at a constitutional democracy. A coming-of-age story, love drama, and historical saga all in one, it reads more like a novel than an authentic memoir. Despite its epoch, the highs and lows of Countess Anna's journey reverberate with timeless issues that still affect us all today. This courageous young woman wrote down extraordinarily visceral details of the horrendous experiences she was living through between 1791 and 1795 -- fires, blizzards, near-starvation, bloody battles between nations, and savage bodily assaults. Nevertheless, she miraculously retained her poetic sensitivity and hopefulness, never succumbing to bitterness or resignation.
Translated from mainly Polish over 60 years ago, this book contains unique descriptions of the lifestyle of an unknown peasant clan who rescued and revived Anna after a murderous carriage attack; graphic accounts of childbirth and healing practices; ghastly war scenes; candid comments on women's suppression and social class inequalities; poignant confessions of conflicts between love and duty; and explicitly sexual passages that Anna copied from the memoirs of her lascivious cousin Sophia. This Diary has never heretofore been published in its authenticity. Its present availability finally fulfills Countess Anna Berezowska's profound wish to share her experiences and insights with the world.