Author Debrianna Obara Debuts Stunning Novel - Blok 42

Debrianna Obara’s debut novel Blok 42 brings forth a shocking historical reality, yet, at its heart is a story about love, loss and redemption in the shadows of the brothels of Auschwitz. Blok 42 will be released this summer by London-based Vanguard Publishing. It is currently available for presale on her website at Debrianna Obara - Blok 42. Obara commented, “My book examines the effects of war, and how it can change everything, as well as showing the lengths that people will go to in order to survive.” Out of a horrific story, Obara brings forth a love story in her book, where love seemingly rises from the ashes from the depths of tragedy.

Debrianna Obara best describes her book as follows: The book focuses on protagonist, Aniela Majewska, who is the beautiful daughter of one of Krakow’s most respected families. Soon after marrying her dashing childhood sweetheart, Henryk Bartosz, the Nazi invasion of Poland separates the young lovers. Henryk chooses to fight the invading Nazis and Russians as part of the underground resistance and Aniela uses her beauty, wit, and indomitable spirit to navigate the Reich’s brutal occupation centralized in her home city, doing whatever it takes to keep her family and her sanity intact.

Obara summarized her research that highlighted some aspects of the Nazi-occupation of Poland that few knew about. Obara stated, “The Lebensborn program was one where the occupying Germans kidnapped blond-haired, blue-eyed Slavic children and placed them in German households in order to grow their “Aryan” population. It is estimated that 18,000 Polish children were separated in this way and less than 10% were ever reunited with their natural parents,” said Obara. “And there was also sexual slavery in concentration camps, where enslaved women of the camps were forced to have sex with male prisoners. This practice was put in place in order to motivate the men to survive the brutal working conditions of the camp.”Obara continued, “My goal for Blok 42 is to bring dignity to these women’s experience by fleshing out a truer picture of what life was like for many women during that war. It was important for me not to tell the story simply of borders and battles, but to explore the cost to ordinary citizens who were placed in unimaginable circumstances.”

Debrianna Obara is the daughter of parents born in Poland during and after WWII. She stated, “I have a specific interest in how WWII permanently altered Polish life, history and culture. I also wanted to unearth the story of Blok 42, which I uncovered several years ago, when I was working on a marketing campaign for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I had also visited Dachau and Auschwitz and never heard a word mentioned about these so-called brothels.
Debrianna Obara studied Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida.

Stating, “Upon graduation, I briefly worked as a journalist at the Fort Pierce Tribune, and later used my writing skills in my role within the advertising industry. Then, I found myself longing for a more creative outlet for my writing skills, and worked with two different friends to write screenplays. I love punchy dialogue so that format attracted me, but ultimately I felt drawn to the format of a novel to tell a sweeping narrative that could bring in a more expansive view,” Obara discussed returning to creative writing around 2016 when she was inspired to write the story of Blok 42.
Concluding, “I hope that Blok 42 encourages readers to reflect on what has changed and what has not changed since the harrowing days of WWII. I wanted to bring to life the stories of ordinary women who survived these most extraordinary times and bring dignity and light to their dark and overlooked experiences. I also hope to illuminate to fans of WWII history how Poland suffered in a unique and overlooked ways – from the categorization as ‘subhumans’ by the Nazis, to the decision to use Poland as the host ground to exterminate Jews and other enemies to the Reich, to its unique history of having been partitioned many times and how language, literature, music and the arts were kept alive “underground” through a strong cultural identity.” Blok 42 is my Gone With the Wind of Poland as it brings forth a specific moment in time when a culture and society is challenged, changed and even replaced, where true love is tested, and women have to reach deep into themselves to fight for survival.”