Jadwiga Szubanski, married to Mieczysław, is Peter and Danuta’s mother. Jadwiga is plump and jolly, characteristics that shine through in Magda, especially when Magda performs on stage. With her excellent business sense, Jadwiga ran several general stores before the war. During the war, Jadwiga courageously chose to shelter Jewish families in the Szubanski home. Jadwiga risked her family’s lives by sheltering a young Jewish boy, whom she adored despite the disturbance he caused. Despite her endangering the family this way, however, Danuta and Peter lovingly remember Jadwiga and wish that Magda could have met her.
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Jadwiga Character Timeline in Reckoning
The timeline below shows where the character Jadwiga appears in Reckoning. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4: My Father’s People
Magda never met Peter’s parents, Mieczysław and Jadwiga Szubański, who had been born in Warsaw in 1894. Mieczysław was a policeman, but he...
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...boat, the women’s large bodies spilling out of their swimsuits. Magda looks a lot like Jadwiga and Peter. Mieczysław had stern, Slavic features. He had a tattoo of an eagle on...
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Chapter 17: Salad Days
...sense of belonging is restored. When Peter sees Magda, he exclaims that she looks like Jadwiga, and asserts that Magda has “got It.” After the show, both Magda’s parents praise her...
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Chapter 21: Warsaw
...When Magda asks, cousin Magda says that she can’t believe Magda never met the kind Jadwiga. Magda struggles to understand love for someone one has never met. To make up for...
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...day when they are alone, Danuta shows Magda photos of her ancestors. After staring at Jadwiga, who looks just like her, Magda starts to cry. Danuta gives Magda copies of the...
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Chapter 31: The Little Jewish Boy
In Magda’s home video of Peter, Peter told her that, during the war, Jadwiga sheltered Jews in the family’s house. Once, they housed a friend’s wife and son, a...
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...of Polish people; Peter says that Polish people were no worse than anyone else. Although Jadwiga did not rob the Jewish family, she eventually sent them away at the insistence of...
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Chapter 40: Women’s Conspiracy
...would comfort him and show him the sky through the window. When Magda asks how Jadwiga told Hella to leave, Danuta can’t recall; Jadwiga cried, and Jurek clung to Danuta. Danuta...
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Chapter 42: Epilogue
...and Peter’s recliners. Magda wishes that Peter were there. She also wishes that Meg, Luke, Jadwiga, Mieczysław, Andrzej and Danuta were there: she wants to tell them how well Peter readied...
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