Introduction

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Mrs. Frankowski’s diary is a record of the events she and her family suffered as a result of the Soviet invasion of Poland on September 17, 1939. Her diary was written in 1942, in Isfahan (Iran), after her liberation from Siberia. It is hand-written on a notebook a friend gave her, with lined pages, in beautiful, Polish script. She also drew and illustrated scenes of her life within the pages. The cover of the book is a hand-sewn remnant from a school uniform. The collection Mrs. Frankowski generously allowed us to scan also includes a published transcription, in Polish, which includes a photograph of her father and of her family and life in Toledo. Fortunately, Mrs. Frankowski also translated her work, which we were also able to scan.