Short and sweet

When Kasienka’s mother decides to leave their Polish home in search of the father that left them for England two years ago, she is devastated. She finds it hard to fit in at school and doesn’t understand why her mother is so obsessed with finding a man that didn’t love them enough to stick around. While Kasienka tries to make new friends, she must also deal with her mother’s loneliness and make a new home in a strange land.

Short and sweet is the best way to describe this lovely coming of age novel. The writing style is unique and unexpectedly effective, almost like little diary excerpts. It is a story about new beginnings and dealing with change, and is as much about Kasienka’s mother as it is about her. This novel is definitely more for the young adult market – not really new adult, as Kasienka’s character is still fairly immature but it is a wonderfully refreshing work of fiction.