Antonina Vallentin: a European of foreign affairs

Why research and write about the life of Antonina Vallentin? When a respected informant, usually not effusive about women's erudition, told me that Vallentin was a woman of great culture, my interest was piqued. The Twentieth Century Authors: A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Literature provided a brief outline of her life, references to her books and articles which were useful starting points. However, what held my attention were the few facts provided about her background. I had lived in the Polish town of her birth, my parents were of her generation, and I too was an emigre, and like Vallentin, attracted to politics. I also understood how difficult it was for a woman of her time and origin to rise above tradition, prejudice, and disdain for women's abilities. How did she overcome such obstacles? Was she that exceptional, was her life a series of lucky breaks, or were there other explanations? But to answer these questions I would have to know more about her life. How do biographers reconstruct a life no longer in public view?