Joanna Czechowska

The Baran family of Derby, England, is caught between its Polish past and its English future.

Barbara and her daughter Helena both survived the war, but separately. On one awful day in Warsaw, Helena got caught in a retaliatory roundup that Barbara just escaped, and was taken to Germany. She became a slave laborer in a clothing factory that made German uniforms. Barbara, left behind, kept her head down and survived the war. After the war, Helena made her way to England, married a Polish man who also came to England after the war, and had three children, Wanda, Zosia, and Janek. Eventually, she found out her mother was alive, in Poland, and asked her to come to England.

We follow the lives of the family through the sixties and seventies.

The three children all handle their Polish heritage very differently, with Zosia in love with her grandmother's romantic version of Poland before the war; Janek, the youngest, embracing England and English ways completely; Wanda, the oldest, caught between the two, running away from her Polish heritage but not completely abandoning it.

Over the years, we see how many secrets the family has. Barbara has important secrets she hasn't told her daughter and grandchildren about her husband, Pyotr, who was, she wants them to remember, a prince. Helena has her own secrets, about Germany and her war years there, and about how she really feels about her mother, just a few feet away from her, not having been caught in the roundup. Zosia never tells her parents about what she experiences at the "better" school she gets into with her excellent test results. Wanda, after she goes to London to work in a clothing shop, has secrets of her own, about her friends, and her experiences in the rented room in a vicarage.

These are each in their own ways strong characters, building new lives and new identities in what is, for them, a new country. It's gritty story with some real hardships and losses, but also real victories. Czechowska cares deeply about her characters, and makes them real individuals, with strengths and weaknesses. It's not an easy read, for the most part, but it is a good one.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher, and am reviewing it voluntarily.… (plus d'informations)

'Sweetest Enemy' is the second book by Joanna Czechowska, which describes the story of the Polish family (Rodziny Baranów) who settled down in the UK after the Second World War. This time, Joanna described the 1980s and 1990s: how the social changes in Poland (the raise and evolution of the "Solidarność") did influence lives of British Poles. In a gentle way Czechowska is speaking about problems like double identity, alienation, sense of disaccord, loneliness. It is a thought-provoking novel, forcing the reader to formulate conclusions. The story is told with a nice, easy to read language. Moreover, it uncovers the Polish mentality and attitudes without judging. If one enjoyed reading 'The Black Madonna of Derby', this book is a must-read then. However, if one is not familiar with Czechowska's writing, then it is time to change it. Recommending with both hands. A great idea for a gift.… (plus d'informations)

Joanna's book is an amazing piece of writing, a 'must read' as I would say...considering the amount of Polish people who live in the UK, who came here after the second World War, after 2006, and are still coming... I'm absolutely convinced that a single Brit met at least once in his or her life a Polish person who lives in the United Kingdom. This book helps to understand the Polish mentality, Polish culture and attitudes toward simple everyday issues...It's an intelligent book with ironic but subtle humour, giving the reader a proper insight into the life of three generations living under one roof, trying to combine two cultures and find their own places. We have Babcia who was born and grown up in Poland and who spent most of her life there, the daughter who really adjusted to the British standards and grandchildren who were born in the UK. This is clashing very often but in a gentle and sensible way. The novel covers the past times, 1960s and 1970s, however, it is still a very good read for the younger audience. It does help to understand the situation then, circumstances, difficulties and struggles they had to face... all Polish (and not only ) immigrants had to face. However, it is a positive book, an optimistic novel...after reading it, the reader's understanding of the world and people around are different, one has a completely different evaluation of the society. The story is happening in the UK, any idea why?...It was those people's choice to come here. They hoped to create a new homeland with piece and happiness around. And in the end, they did not have a bad life. The language of the book is simple, catchy and easy to read. A very recommended book for the autumn's evenings: with a cup of hot chocolate in the other hand, cashmere socks on your feet and a nice cosy blanket around yourself. A great idea for a Christmas gift. Recommending with both hands.… (plus d'informations)