Super Short Summary

A Long, Long Time Ago & Essentially True by Brigid Pasulka alternates between 1939 and 1992, with a protagonist narrating her ancestors' WWII struggles and her own post-communist journey in Poland. In 1939, Czesław and Anielica's love faces Nazi devastation, leading to their separation. In 1992, Beata, their granddaughter, grieves her grandmother and discovers her path amid Kraków's tumult. The novel explores themes of Transcending the Past, Building a Future, and Claiming an Identity. It includes incidents of antisemitism, rape, alcohol addiction, and wartime violence.