by Partha Banerjee (Author)
'The White Eagle' is a work of historical fiction in the backdrop of wartime Poland, specifically the ghettos of World War II. As a work of historical fiction, there is serious historical research involved on matters such as the genesis of Soviet-Polish antagonism and the events that led to the invasion of Poland in 1939. But ultimately, this is a story of ultimate human courage and sacrifice. The protagonist, Irena Sendler, was a hero of the Polish Resistance. She was a Polish Catholic social worker who along with nine of her associates smuggled Jewish children out of the ghetto and placed them with convents and foster families. She risked her life and saved the lives of more than 2,500 children from imminent death and gave them a new life. The children saved by her are known as "Irena Sendler's Children". Using the known historical facts about her life as a scaffolding, the author fills in the blanks. The result is a gripping story - an adventure story of magnificent, operatic proportions.