Northbrook Resident, 85, Publishes First Book

NORTHBROOK, IL — Last month, Northbrook resident Irene Pyskir Bilak, 85, fulfilled a dream of many writers when she published her first book, "Contra Spem Spero: Nadia I Hope Again." For the retired teacher — who taught in Northbrook, Palatine, Chicago and Milwaukee during her career — an affinity for the written word led her to putting the pen to the paper.

"It took me eight years [to write the book]. Belonging to Kenosha Writers' Guild gave me an incentive to write my story," Bilak, a resident of Northbrook for 40 years, tells Patch. "The process was writing, proofreading, criticism and writing more. The writing group was very beneficial to the process."

The Kenosha Writers' Guild is a free group, held in Kenosha, Wisconsin, open to anyone with an interest in writing, according to its website. Members reside in southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois.

Bilak was born in Ukraine and immigrated to the United States at the age of 10 during World War II. She is bilingual and participates in the Ukrainian Diaspora in Chicago.

"I heard a story on the radio about writing a book while I was cooking," Bilak said in describing what inspired her to write the book. "I have had a lifelong love of reading and writing."

Bilak said the current war in Ukraine also motivated her to write "Contra Spem Spero: Nadia I Hope Again." In Latin, the phrase "Contra spem spero" translates to "against all hope, I hope." It is also the name of a poem by Ukrainian poet, Lesya Ukraїnka. The book is 367 pages.

"The story is about a young girl who was separated from her family in World War II. She was born in Ukraine and with her parents was fleeing to the West in search of freedom," Bilak said in describing the book. "She ended up in Hungary, fighting the Communist ideology, and with her husband tried to flee to Austria. They were both captured and arrested. She was sent back to Ukraine and imprisoned in Lviv's Lontsky prison. Her husband was sent to Kazakhstan for 10 years as well. What happens to them is the drama of their life."

Bilak said her career of teaching English literature and history guided her to continue thinking and analyzing the story she had in her head.

"Contra Spem Spero: Nadia I Hope Again" can be found for purchase on Amazon. The cost is $11 for Kindle devices, $17 for a paperback version, and $24 for the hardcover.