Customer Reviews

Podhale: A Companion Guide to the Polish Highlands

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I loved this book. My family heritage is from most of Northern Europe but I am fascinated by the Highland blood from Scotland through my Mother and by the Polish/Slovak of my Father. Marcinek is the original Polish family name and my family's ancestral village is just across the Polish border from Podhale in Slovakia. This book gives me a window into the life of my ancestors. Many things are strangely familiar to stories I have heard and traditions in the family. Jan Gutt-Mostowy and Maria De Gorgey have done a fine job of making this a little history of the Goral (Polish Highlander) rather than just a travel guide book. The book is split into 4 parts. The first is about the Highlands themselves and their settlement. The second is all about the Highlanders themselves with chapters on Agriculture, housing, dress, food, folklore, customs, art, songs and dance. The third part is the traveler's guide broken into different cities and regions in the Podhale with a rich mixture of history rolled into it. The fourth and final part is about the Polish Highlanders in America, the mass immigration and history up until today of a unique culture's attempt to survive in the new world. This book has renewed and fanned the love of my Father's ancestry and given me knew avenues and ideas to reclaim my heritage. This is an excellent book for anyone with an interest or links to the Tatra Mountain Region of Poland and Slovakia.