Poles Apart

"You're lucky, being a girl. You can always get au pair work. Or a job in a Polish bakery - apparently they're springing up all over London". Marta grits her teeth and nods. She is used to this now: the assumption that she has come to England to abandon her career and make a fortune changing nappies and cleaning floors. It couldn't be further from the truth. Poles Apart tells the story of an ambitious young graduate from the outskirts of Warsaw who moves to London in search of fresh challenges and the opportunity to make a name for herself. But it's harder than she had anticipated. Her qualifications are unpronounceable - let alone recognisable - and the workplace isn't the only area riddled with prejudice. Marta's new set of 'friends' are quick to turn their backs on the newcomer, as are the men in her life - of which there are many. Based on a true story, Poles Apart is an insightful, funny, cynical look at London life through the eyes of a young migrant. It is a book for anyone who has ever encountered preconceptions or prejudice.