'The Invisible Side': What If Escaping A Dictatorship Was Only The Beginning?

About the book

What If Escaping A Dictatorship Was Only The Beginning?

In 1960s communist Poland, microbiologist Jan Wojkowski sails to Copenhagen aboard a small yacht in search of freedom and the chance to do independent science. He leaves behind his wife, Alicja, and their young son, Michał. But the West has its own hidden side. Jan’s research draws the attention of people who see a weapon where he sees a cure, and a mysterious man named Boris pulls the family into a world of intelligence games and quiet manipulation.

From Prague in 1968 to the youth culture of the West and the shores of North America, The Invisible Side is a sweeping novel about love, loyalty, and the price of freedom, and about a shadow that never quite goes away.

Where to buy

• Amazon Canada: 
• Amazon US: 
• Amazon UK: 

Trailers

• Trailer 1: 
• Trailer 2: 

Review

The novel has been reviewed in Polish by Zbigniew Masternak. His review, in my English translation, is pasted below. As he puts it, the book is “above all a book about freedom and the price one must pay for it.”

Zbigniew Masternak's review of Aleksander Rybczyński’s 'The Invisible Side'

Aleksander Rybczyński’s 'The Invisible Side' is a multi-threaded novel in which family history intertwines with politics, emigration, love, science, and reflection on the future of humankind. The author leads the reader through different countries and eras, showing a world full of contradictions, where apparent freedom does not always mean real independence, and civilizational progress does not necessarily go hand in hand with moral development.

The story begins with the fate of Jan Wojkowski, a Polish microbiologist who decides to flee communist Poland. A voyage aboard the yacht Karolinka to Copenhagen becomes his attempt to regain freedom and the ability to do independent scientific work. Yet Jan leaves behind in Poland his wife, Alicja, and their son, Michał, which gives his decision the dimension of a personal tragedy. Emigration turns out to be not only a change of address but also a painful break with his former life, his family, and his sense of security.

One of the novel’s interesting aspects is its portrayal of life in emigration. At first, Copenhagen appears as a place of freedom, prosperity, and new opportunities, in sharp contrast with the gray reality of communist Poland. It soon becomes clear, however, that this world also has its less attractive side. Jan’s research attracts the attention of people who see in it not so much a chance for medicine as a potential political and military tool. His discovery concerning tularemia confronts him with a difficult dilemma: is a scientist responsible only for his discoveries, or also for how they may be used? This thread gives the book a particularly timely dimension and prompts reflection on the limits of scientific responsibility.

The character of Boris, a mysterious man entangled in intelligence work and political double-dealing, also plays a major role. His presence brings an element of suspense to the novel, but above all it allows the author to show the mechanisms of manipulation and the hidden struggle for influence. Boris is an ambiguous figure, and his stories make the other characters realize that political reality is far more complicated than it might seem. Particularly disturbing is the vision of the future he presents, in which traditional forms of totalitarianism may be replaced by subtler methods of controlling people.

One of the book’s strengths is its broad historical and cultural backdrop

The family thread is equally important. Alicja, who initially remains in Poland, represents strength, devotion to values, and responsibility for loved ones. Her care in raising Michał, and her interest in literature and culture, show that even in difficult conditions it is possible to build a space of intellectual independence. Michał, for his part, grows up in the shadow of his parents’ emigration experiences. He discovers a new culture, along with music, literature, photography, and the youth scenes of the 1960s. His story is about the search for his own identity and the attempt to reconcile his Polish roots with life in another country. An important complement to this story is Maria, with whom Michał shares a bond, common interests, and a similar sensitivity to the world around them.

One of the book’s strengths is its broad historical and cultural backdrop. Events connected with emigration, the political situation in Central Europe, the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, and the social changes in the West create a rich panorama of the second half of the twentieth century. The author also evokes music, literature, and youth culture, so that the novel becomes not only a story of specific characters but also a record of the atmosphere of an era. References to Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and the literature of the Beat Generation underscore the importance of individualism, rebellion, and the search for authenticity.

The developments in Canada and the United States are especially interesting. The new continent is not presented as an ideal land of freedom. The author also draws attention to social problems, inequality, and the fate of the Indigenous peoples of North America. In this way he shows that no civilization is free of its own contradictions, and that material prosperity is not sufficient proof of a society’s moral maturity.

The title’s “invisible side” is the key to interpreting the whole work. It refers both to hidden political mechanisms, the secrets of intelligence services, and the undisclosed intentions of the characters, and to the darker sides of human nature. Photography, shadow, the sea, and the journey also carry symbolic weight. Photography is a reminder of the need to preserve memory and to search for truth; the shadow symbolizes an elusive threat; while the sea and sailing stand for freedom, risk, and the unpredictability of human fate.

Rybczyński’s novel stands out for the richness of its themes and the breadth of its perspective. The author does not confine himself to one literary convention. He combines elements of the family saga, the historical novel, the psychological novel, and the thriller with philosophical reflection. This combination demands the reader’s attention, because individual threads often lead to broader questions about the nature of freedom, responsibility, and the condition of modern humanity. The book’s complex structure and many cultural references may, however, mean that some passages require more concentration, and the pace of the narrative is not always even.

Enslavement can return in other forms: manipulation, economic interests, technological control, or social indifference

The most convincing part of the work seems to be its reflective layer. The story of Jan and his family shows that freedom is not a state achieved once and for all. It is not enough to leave a totalitarian state in order to be free of the mechanisms of enslavement. They can return in other forms: manipulation, economic interests, technological control, or social indifference. The author also reminds us of the importance of love, friendship, loyalty, and fidelity to one’s convictions. It is these values that allow the characters to keep their humanity despite difficult experiences.

The ending leaves the reader with a sense of uncertainty. The characters’ fates are not closed with a simple, unambiguous resolution. Even moments of family happiness and hope do not mean that all threats have been overcome. The mysterious figure who appears behind Michał and Maria is a reminder that the invisible side of reality still exists, and that a person never has complete control over his own fate.

'The Invisible Side' is above all a book about freedom and the price one must pay for it. It is a story about people trying to save themselves, their families, and their values in a world subordinated to political interests, ambitions, and constant change. Its message goes beyond the historical realities in which the action takes place. It remains relevant today, when the development of technology and ever more sophisticated methods of influencing people again raise questions about the limits of freedom and responsibility.

This is a novel that prompts reflection and offers no easy answers. Its greatest value is the reminder that true freedom begins not with a change of residence or political system, but with preserving independence of thought, sensitivity, and moral courage. It is well worth reading, especially if you are drawn to literature that joins the story of an individual with broader reflection on the world and the direction in which modern civilization is heading.

--Zbigniew Masternak