The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 1
Translated by Jeremiah Curtin
The Deluge sweeps across the battlefields and estates of seventeenth-century Poland at the moment when the Commonwealth faces annihilation. A Swedish invasion, backed by Russia and the Cossacks, tears the nation apart, and into this chaos steps Andrei Kmita, a young nobleman of fiery temperament and reckless courage. What begins as a quest to protect his family estate becomes a mission to rally Polish resistance against the northern tide. Sienkiewicz weaves the fate of nations through the intimate dramas of love, betrayal, and honor among the szlachta nobility. A romance blossoms between Kmita and the beautiful Aleksandra Bilska, but their path to happiness is blocked by political scheming, family vendettas, and the ever-advancing armies. This is historical fiction on a magnificent scale: swashbuckling adventure, political intrigue, and a passionate meditation on what it means to defend one's homeland when the world is crumbling. Sienkiewicz, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature, constructed a monument to Polish resilience that has captivated readers for over a century. Those who love epic historical sagas, military adventure, and stories of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times will find themselves riveted.
