4/03/2007

We would like to introduce 'Goodbye Polsko', a novel which we think a lot of you will find very interesting. At the moment it has only been published in Polish, but the English version should be available soon.
The novel
'Goodbye Polsko' intertwines the histories of postwar Britain and Poland as seen through the lives of one family - ordinary people whose world has been turned upside down by accidents of fate and war.

The story begins in 1964 where the elderly grandmother has become homesick and weary of living with her daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren in a suburban English house. She returns to Poland but the privations of life under the Communists and events from her past which she has attempted to keep hidden, make her stay less than happy.
Her daughter, meanwhile, has her own fears to contend with as wartime memories and scenes from the past threaten to overwhelm her. The three children of the next generation, growing up in the England of the 1960s, are alternately repelled and attracted to their Polish roots, while they struggle to reconcile their two identities. The shocking climax to the novel will leave you transfixed.
If you have lived in Britain or are thinking about doing so, this book will give you a unique insight into the Anglo-Polish story, as seen through the eyes of the generation who settled immediately after the Second World War. It will enhance your understanding of the new close relationship that is now being forged between the two countries.
The Author
The author, Joanna Czechowska, was born in Derby, England in 1959, the fourth daughter of Jerzy Czechowski and Christine Czechowska nee O'Neill. Her parents met during the war at a welcome dance for Polish service men organised by her maternal grandfather. After school in Derby, she studied history and archaeology at University College London, then took an masters degree in history. She began working in magazine publishing and now works for Woman magazine as chief sub editor. She has always loved fiction but only began writing short stories seriously about four years ago. She has had around 20 published to date. She lives in London with her husband Tim and children Joseph and Isobel. Goodbye Polsko is her first novel.
The Translator
Anna Kanthak was born in Gdansk. Her father is first cousin to the author's father Jerzy Czechowski. She studied at university in Gdansk and took a degree in Scandinavian languages and culture. She works as an interpreter and translator in Swedish and English.
How to buy the book

Special Offer - for a limited period books ordered for delivery within the United Kingdom will be signed by the author!
If you are resident in the United Kingdom, you can purchase Goodbye Polsko by sending a cheque for £7.99 plus £1.00 for postage and packing (total £8.99) to Goodbye Polsko 26 Woodwarde Road London SE22 8UJ. The cheque should be made out to Joanna Czechowska(visit www.jczechowska.com for more details). Don't forget to include your name and address in BLOCK CAPITALS. Those, who do not live in the UK may contact the author by sending enquiry e-mail to: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  

Also available directly from the following shops:
Polish Cultural Center POSK 238-246 King Street, Hammersmith, London W6 0RF
Grant & Cutler - 55-57 Great Marlborough Street, London W1F 7AY
Memories - 130 Brent Street, Hendon, London NW4 2DR
Panadam Delicatessen - 2 Marius Road, Balham High Street, London SW17 7QQ
Korona Polish Delicatessen - 30 Streatham High Rd, London SW16 1DB
and from the Internet bokshop:
www.polishbooks.co.uk  
If you are in Poland, please contact the Publisher: Beata Kubiszyn-Puka - Media Foran ul. Kochanowskiego 13/9, Warsaw Email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Justyna Staszek
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

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