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September 29, 2025 21 mins

What if the hardest years of your life weren’t wasted, but instead the foundation for your strength, resilience, and purpose?

In today’s episode of Beyond the Bestseller, I sat down with Christine Sadry, author of 13 Years Lost: An Unbelievable Story of Fleeing Communist Poland and Traveling the World Serving the United Nations. Her story is nothing short of remarkable—one that begins with unimaginable loss and abandonment, but unfolds into resilience, discovery, and ultimately, empowerment.

Christine takes us through her journey of leaving Poland as a child, surviving years of abuse and isolation in the United States, and eventually carving out a life of purpose and adventure through her work with the United Nations. From peacekeeping missions in Africa to reconnecting with her long-lost sisters, Christine’s story is about more than survival—it’s about building a life you choose, no matter where you come from.

If you’ve ever felt like your past defines your future, this conversation is proof that you can write your own story.

We dive into:

  • Christine’s childhood in Communist Poland and her brave journey to the U.S. at just nine years old
  • The 13 years she calls “lost”—and how she eventually reclaimed her identity and independence
  • How her work with the United Nations gave her a sense of purpose and adventure she never imagined possible
  • Why her book has become a beacon of hope and empowerment for women around the world
  • Christine’s powerful reminder that you are the driver of your life—not just a passenger

Links & Resources Mentioned:

  • Christine’s website: christiesadry.com
  • Her book 13 Years Lost on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
  • Connect with Christine on Instagram: @christine.sadry
  • Join me inside the Author Power Circle to connect with other women authors

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