Slavomir Rawicz is in the Polish army and is arrested by the Russians, accused of spying. He spends a year in Russian prison, then is given a trial and sentenced to 25 years labor. He is transported by train from Moscow to Irkutsk, then is on a forced march in chains with hundreds of other prisoners to Camp 303 in Northern Siberia. After a few months he decides to escape, gathers a group of like minded men, is helped by the Camp Commander's wife who is sympathetic. They successfully escape the camp and so begins the long walk south from northern Siberia to India. This includes crossing the Gobi desert and climbing through the Himalayas!
This is a very well-written book but so fantastic that I felt like I was reading Life of Pi, or maybe the Bible (ram with horns stuck in the thicket, the long exodus out of slavery, and (for the Christians) the virgin. I didn't see how the story could possibly be true, but on the other hand, maybe it was. I can't judge because I simply have no information except what the author is telling me. I choose to believe him, or at least not disbelieve him. The story is very moving in many ways but I didn't really have an emotional reaction to it until the end with the incident with Paluchowicz. I just couldn't believe it, after all the hardships. When they finally reach India I let out the breath I hadn't even realized I had been holding and cried with the men as they said goodbye to each other.
Reading reviews and articles: Looks like it wasn't true. It was still an excellent story. Life of Pi and the Bible.

This book is promoted as a true story so I will list it in the non-fic VBB.

This book has been selected by booklady331. I will try to get it mailed off tomorrow.

Requested and mailed! Hope you enjoy it.

Came back to me without the mailing label. Will have to try again.

Oh my gosh, this book came back home AGAIN! I am going to check that the address I have is correct and try again!!

Mailed for the 3rd time! to booklady331. Thanks for your patience! Hope it gets through this time and that you enjoy the reading.

This time the book arrived. Thank you for sharing it with me. I do enjoy reading these survival stories that help me to see how blessed I am as well as how strong people really are.

Finished the book and found the story not quite believable. After reading a little on the web and BooksandMusic journal, I found that it probably isn't true. I wish the authors would just write it as fiction as it bothers me that someone writes something as true when they embellish it until it becomes fiction. That is my 2 cents.

I have a PM in to another BCer who has the book on her wishlist. If she still wants the book, I will mail it to her in 2015.

Enjoy! KTM RABCK to hostile17

Received today.
Thank you so much for sending this wishlist book my way.
I'm looking forward to reading it.