The Paris of the East

By Karen McMillan, Published by McKenzie Publishing on 11 April 2014 Trade Paperback RRP $34.99

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The Paris of the East is a sweeping epic of love and war, courage and survival, sacrifice and loss.

Warsaw, 1939. Four friends picnic on a brilliant summer’s day and celebrate an engagement, aware of the rumbles of war, but hopeful that in any conflict Poland will have the upper hand. But only months later, Poland has surrendered and dare-devil pilot Rafael is ordered to flee the country, eventually flying for the RAF in Britain. The other three remain in Nazi-occupied Warsaw – Rafael’s spirited wife, Celina; his shy and brooding brother Marek – who wishes he was the one Celina had married – and their plucky friend Anna. Danger lurks on every corner of occupied Warsaw, even more so when the three friends become active members in the Polish Resistance…

A page-turning story that spans the period of the Second World War, this is a dramatic historical adventure that goes from Warsaw to Lublin, from Bucharest to Paris, from London to the

Concentration Camp at Ravensbruck – but always at the heart of this novel is the mesmerising city of Warsaw – ‘The Paris of the East.’

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Praise for The Paris of the East:

‘From the derring-do of Allied fighter pilots to the cunning of the Polish resistance and the everyday bravery of a professor and his daughter, there are heroes of all kinds in this sweeping tale of war-torn Warsaw. At its heart lies a tender love story which offers a glimpse of hope for a better future, and reminds us that humanity and kindness ultimately always prevail.’ – Eleanor Black, NEXT Magazine

For further information please contact Karen McKenzie, kmacPR Mobile: 027 693 9044

A note from the author:

‘To give you some background, a Polish edition of my book Unbreakable Spirit was published a few years ago. On author tour I met Wanda Poltawska, an astonishing woman in her 90s who survived being a ‘guinea pig’ at the Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. I read her memoirs and other books written from a Polish perspective. I was struck by several things – the daring feats of Polish pilots during the war, the inspiring way the camp population at Ravensbruck rounded together to save a group of women who had been operated on by the Nazis, and the tragedy of the Warsaw Uprising. The Paris of the East is a story of love, courage and survival set during these extraordinary times. It is also the story of Warsaw during the Second World War – the once beautiful ‘Paris of the East’ that was completely obliterated by the Germans at the war’s end.’ – Karen McMillan

About the author:

Karen McMillan is the author of fiction and non-fiction. Her non-fiction titles include Unbreakable Spirit; Love in Aotearoa (or Love Bytes in the UK); Feast or Famine; Unleash Your Inner Seductress and Dying: A New Zealand Guide for the Journey, an adaptation of a South African guide for the terminally ill and their loved ones. Fiction works include the novel Watching Over Me. Karen lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

Previously an award-winning fashion designer, Karen has worked full time in publishing for the past fourteen years.

For more information about Karen, you can follow her on Twitter @KarenMcMillanNZ.

Media Release

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