The Vow
The Vow is the story of Anna and Szymon, a devout girl and a young village priest who cling to each other as first the Germans raid their remote Polish village in 1939 and then, five years later, the Soviets arrive to “liberate” them. After Anna witnesses her friend’s death and her father’s forced conscription by the Germans, she comes to rely on the comfort of her friendship with Szymon, much to the consternation of Tomek, the young man who loves and wants to marry Anna. As the years pass, Anna and Szymon grow closer and their friendship—and growing love—draws the ire and jealousy of village gossips. Then, when the Soviets arrive and Anna catches the attention of three soldiers, who rape her and leave her to deal with the consequences, Anna and Szymon must finally come to terms with their true feelings for one another. Although they never violate their vows—his to the Church and hers to Tomek, whom she eventually agrees to marry so the baby she carries will have a father—a terrible betrayal forces them to choose between a life of sorrow and denial or a life of love.
There is quite a bit of repetition, and I had trouble buying into the different facets of Tomek’s behavior, especially at the end. Village life is realistically rendered, although several of the characters seem to be mere stereotypes. There is definitely good material here, but I felt the novel could have been even better. The author just scratches the surface of the story, barely hinting at the depth of emotion waiting to be revealed on the page.
