The Soul of a Shoemaker

Book Trailer: The Soul of a Shoemaker: A Heart-Wrenching Tale of Love and Triumph from Communist Yugoslavia to CanadaShow more

The book is available in eBook, paperback, and hardback.

https://books.susancork.com/

A Shoemaker struggles to survive in an oppressed society. Can he outsmart the brutal regime before he becomes the next victim?

In 1950s Yugoslavia, master cobbler Frank Katana must make a harrowing decision: stay and face certain death, or flee to Canada and leave everything he knows and loves behind. But in a new country, Frank must navigate the struggles of building a new life and the ache of longing for his family, his true love and his homeland in this heart-wrenching story of survival and sacrifice.

My father, Frank Katana, escaped communist Yugoslavia on foot over sixty years ago and found his way to Canada, where he started a shoe empire.

He left everything behind to escape from a brutal regime. He believed he would have a better life for himself and his family if he could have the opportunity to thrive in a free country. This story is a glimpse into his life on the farm, his challenges living under the communist dictatorship in Yugoslavia, and his dramatic escape to freedom in Canada.

The Soul of a Shoemaker is a fascinating story, an homage, and a retelling of my father’s journey to Canada with absolutely nothing in his pockets and how he built something spectacular. Born early in 1932, in the Croatian part of Yugoslavia, to parents who were farmers, Frank Katana apprenticed with shoemakers after the devastating war.

"I was the only one who could never really adapt to the farm life. I was always looking for something easier than farming. I always wanted to achieve something on my own, whether in Austria or somewhere else."

The somewhere else would be Canada, but not without the kind of horrifying close calls once so familiar to people who attempted to leave Eastern Europe and so unknown to most Canadians.

The painful memories of escape and resurgence in the new world are still there, but so is the drive that made it possible.

REVIEWS:
5.0 out of 5 stars What an inspiring story of freedom!
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2023
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It's nearly hard to believe The Soul of a Shoemaker is a true story, but it is. Written by Susan Cork, the daughter of the main character Frank Katana, Cork provides the reader with the harrowing real life tales of her father's experiences in Yugoslavia before fleeing the long-ago country and immigrating to Canada to start a new life. It's hard to imagine anyone could survive the communist 1950's Yugoslavia based on the stories told in the book, but Frank Katana did, and he rose to freedom. I highly recommend this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming and well-written history
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023
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A charming and well-written history
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023
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The author skillfully weaves an engaging narrative detailing the dramatic and fantastic challenges and triumphs of her father's journey as an immigrant. I appreciated the well-crafted storytelling and the compelling characters that emerged throughout the tale of hat spans many settings. It stands as a powerful testament to the author’s love for her father in documenting his dramatic, touching, and rewarding life story.

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and Inspirational
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023
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The Soul of a Shoemaker provides a personal and intimate perspective on a significant period in Eastern European history - the oppressive communist regime of Yugoslavia in the 1950s. It is both thought-provoking and entertaining. Highly recommend!

Reviewer reviews stuff
5.0 out of 5 stars Frank the tank
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2023
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A story that you really almost cannot make up. I know maybe it is based on true events but the stories of that time are simply... breathtaking in a not necessarily positive way. The way the world worked in yugoslavia (a country that no longer exists btw) was really backwards and cage-like by modern standards. Wow!

KSR
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration and profound insights
Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2023
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Penned by Susan Cork, daughter of the central figure Frank Katana, this narrative unfolds in 1950s Yugoslavia, where the skilled cobbler Frank Katana confronts a daunting choice: brave almost certain death by staying or embark on a perilous journey to Canada, abandoning all he holds dear. The book adeptly captures the tumult and ambiguity inherent in living under a communist regime, amplifying the gripping nature of Frank's escape to Canada. Brimming with inspiration and profound insights, the story authentically depicts the harsh reality of life in communist Yugoslavia.