333 DAYS

About the Book

This is a daily journal of a young Pole who risked everything to search for a better life for his family. At the age of 22 and speaking only Polish, he defected from a pilgrimage to Rome to join a refugee camp on the outskirts of the city. He had no plans, very little money and only a small backpack of personal belongings. Frustrated with the limitations of Communism and with little hope of providing a stable environment for his family, Jacek was driven on by the overwhelming belief that a better future was waiting beyond the borders of his native country. This journal takes you through his personal journey from arriving at the gates of the refugee camp to being welcomed into Canada. His memoirs are both poignant and humorous and are set in the context of the events taking place in Poland and in the rest of the world. They give the reader a vivid picture of day-to-day life in the camp and the development of relationships and events as they enfold.

About the Author

Born in Gdansk, Poland, in 1963, during the Communist Regime, JACEK LASZKIEWICZ escaped to Latina, Italy, a refugee camp while on a pilgrimage to the Vatican. At the age of 22, he left behind his wife and two-year old son in search of a better future. After spending almost a year in Latina, Jacek was accepted into Canada as a government-sponsored refugee. Now, as a successful Sales Director in Engineering and growing his own business in Finance in Vancouver, he celebrates 26 years in Canada.