Eva Underground (review)

It is 1978, and seventeen-year-old Eva Lott is upset about moving from Chicago to Communist Poland. However, her professor father has been encouraged by his faith and a line of Polish ancestry to join the anti-Communist resistance, and he teaches a group of young writers and activists who are part of an underground free-press movement. Eva is initially appalled by the lack of amenities in the mountain village of Zakopane—a piece of bread coated in lard is considered a luxury—and she attempts to sneak away and fly home. Soon, though, she realizes that Poland has gotten into her blood—helped by the hunky good looks of Tomek, one of her father's students; she pledges to help the cause, only to be accused of betrayal after Tomek is arrested and beaten by soldiers. What is essentially a fairly unsurprising, solid depiction of a young adult dealing with her mother's death and her own first love is given fresh life through the unexpected and unusual setting of Poland under Communism—and yes, Karol Wojtyla (future Pope John Paul II) has a role to play in the story. More historical context would have been welcome—it's never explained how the free-press movement relates to Catholicism—and Eva's father's role in the movement (especially since he doesn't speak Polish) is contrived. Nevertheless, budding activists and historians and romance fans intrigued by the edgier setting may find a revolutionary flavor here.