Polonaise

by Piers Paul Read

First published 1976

Stefan watches helplessly as his sister Krystyna sacrifices herself to a lecherous banker to save their family's land. Dispossessed and destitute, the siblings flee to Warsaw, where Krystyna becomes a hardened survivor while Stefan simmers with rage, plotting to avenge their ruination. As the siblings' fates diverge, their family's tragic downfall becomes a microcosm of Poland's own tumultuous history.

Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama

Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, family-secrets

Setting: Poland, Warsaw

Period: 20th-century

346 pages · Hardcover · Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Content warnings: violence

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