A Polish Boy-Genius in a Hostile Environment

Poland, 1848: Where survival is a daily struggle and intelligence can be a dangerous gift.

In a land crushed under Prussian rule, where peasants are reduced to foraging in the forest just to eat, one boy's mind sets him apart—and places him in danger. Young orphan Val Karnowski, a Polish peasant child with a genius-level IQ, is taken in by a kind-hearted illiterate man who believes Val must be educated—despite fierce resistance from his own wife and a society that sees no need to educate the poor.

But the only school available is Prussian-run, designed by Otto von Bismarck's government to erase Polish identity. There, Val's extraordinary mind meets a cruel and chaotic world: a jealous young teacher, resentful classmates, and an institution that openly favors its German students. With a sharp eye and a tender heart, Val navigates bullies, tattletales, outcasts, and jealous peers—experiencing the full, raw spectrum of childhood in an environment stacked against him.

Meanwhile, far from the schoolhouse, the dark specter of history looms. In twisted, dreamlike scenes, Bismarck himself is visited by the Devil at 3:00 a.m., who parades history's past-tyrants as exemplars for his rising war on Poles and Jews.

Will Val's brilliance be his salvation—or his undoing?

A story of resilience, injustice, childhood, and hope—this richly detailed historical novel will stir memories of your own school days, while pulling you deep into the soul of 19th-century Poland.