Contents

         Acknowledgements			
         Preface				
         Prologue - Unexpected News in New Zealand	
         1.  Family Life in Pre-War Poland	
         2.  Outbreak of World War II		
         3.  Deportation to the USSR		
         4.  Life in Northern Kazakhstan	
         5.  Polish Amnesty in the USSR		
         6.  Leaving Uzbekistan for Turkmenistan in the USSR	
         7.  Journey to Persia and Life in Meshed	
         8.  Journey to India			
         9.  The Polish Children's Camp in Balachadi-Jamnagar   
         10. The Polish Refugees' Camp at Valivade-Kolhapur     
         11. Life in Panchgani               	
         12. Leaving India                   
         13. Beginning Life In New Zealand     
         14. A New Life in Wellington          
         15. The Dutch Connection            
         16. My Husband's Early Life in New Zealand 	
         17. Our Friendship and Marriage    
         18. Facing Life's Challenges Together  
         19. Life in Waipukurau                
         20. Family Life in Napier             
         21. Farming in Eskdale                
         22. My Retirement from Teaching       
         23. The Changing World Scene         
         Epilogue — Looking Back, and Forward to the Future  
         About the Author	

LIST OF PHOTOS. 

My first Communion in Poland, Grodno on 7th June 1939. (ch.1)
My father Dr Stefan Tarasiuk-Tarasiewicz. (ch. 1)
My uncle Captain Mikolaj (Nicholas) Kunachowicz, who was together 
   with my father in the Starobielsk Camp in the Ukraine. (ch. 1)
My uncle General Nikodem Sulik. (ch. 5)
Our marriage took place on 23rd January 1954 in Wellington (ch. 18)
My graduation from Victoria University of Wellington in May 1968. (ch. 20)
Our family in 1968. From left: 
   my husband Wim, John, Zosia, Stephen, Annemarie, Maria (ch. 20)
My brother Alek's grandchildren wearing Polish national costumes 
   from Cracow (Sarah and Brendan). (Epil.)
Maria and Wim van der Linden in 1992. (Epil.)

(C) Maria van der Linden

electronic version by: Roman Antoszewski Auckland, Titirangi, New Zealand (Nov. 2000) antora@ihug.co.nz