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Zaremba, or Love and the Rule of Law

Michelle Granas (Goodreads Author)

4.03 · Rating details · 179 ratings · 53 reviews

Cordelia is disabled and painfully shy but none of that matters when a stranger desperately needs her help. Shaken out of a routine that centers on caring for her odd family in Warsaw--her father is an academic with no life skills, her brother never leaves the villa, and her mother has dementia--she is forced to act. Zaremba, a wealthy businessman, is fleeing arrest when h ...more

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Kindle Edition, 519 pages

Published January 28th 2013 (first published January 12th 2013)

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Feb 04, 2014 Evelina | AvalinahsBooks rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, firstreads, books-of-2014

So I've decided to finally write the review for this book. It took me a while to get to it, but it's just cause I wanted to do it justice. And not just cause of that.. I'd prefer not to write a review at all, because this is one of those books that become a personal part of you, and you don't really want to share it.

This book has been lying on my bedside table for many months - many months too long, to be honest. But it's just that the cover is so misleading.. I didn't know what was inside. A go So I've decided to finally write the review for this book. It took me a while to get to it, but it's just cause I wanted to do it justice. And not just cause of that.. I'd prefer not to write a review at all, because this is one of those books that become a personal part of you, and you don't really want to share it.

This book has been lying on my bedside table for many months - many months too long, to be honest. But it's just that the cover is so misleading.. I didn't know what was inside. A good lesson - don't judge a book by it's cover, really - don't. Having started, I instantly realized that I'm going to love it all the way, and I was already sorry to think that even though it's a thick book, it will eventually end. Perhaps it's a feminine story. Perhaps it's sentimental. And you do know how I hate all those romance stories and always try to avoid them. But this.. No. This is just warm, cozy, and perhaps just connected with my own life and feelings just enough so I wouldn't be able to put it down. Many times I caught myself thinking, hey, the main character feels exactly what I have felt! And I used to always wonder, is this just something that I sometimes think and feel..? Having read that, I know that maybe it's not me. Maybe it's just women :) not all, but at least some - if there is a person out there who wrote this and thought about this.

Anyhow, don't be mislead by the cover and the name. The story is a really warm and honest story about a really shy woman who decides to help someone who is actually very strong, but does need help - even if it's the help of a person who seems helpless herself. It's a story about believing yourself, believing others as well. And mostly.. It's a story with a good ending. Sometimes you just need a story which ends well.. Like they say - if it didn't end well - it's not the ending yet.

The cases you should read this in:
- when you need to get back your trust in life and people
- when you need something to warm you up
- when you need to be involved in what you're reading

Because I'm telling you, I picked this up when I was having the worst non-reading period in the last two years.. I used to read this on my bus trips. And I swear, there were at least 3 times when I nearly cried at the bus, at least one time when I barely remembered to get out at the right stop, and many, many times when I was annoyed that my stop is already there and now I'll have to wait several hours more to see what happens next.

The part that I loved the best was probably the fact that the characters were really fleshed out. Somehow they were.. just alive. Maybe I just really connected with them. And the style. The writing style was very honest, very natural. No funny business. And then, then there's also "Z. Devel"... I gotta say, that's.. That's a corny joke! BUT IT'S SO FUNNY!!! xDDD haha. Yeah. So basically, I loved almost everything about this book. So much that I personally thanked the writer for writing it. Read it. At least the females of the species - read it :) (yes, yes, that's a paraphrased quote from the book as well - I just noticed xD)

EDIT: I wonder if I mentioned anywhere that I received this as a Firstreads giveaway. In case I haven't, I'm mentioning it now :) ...more

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May 09, 2013 Andrea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fiction

I loved the descriptions of all the characters, especially Cordelia and Zaremba. The dialogue between them is what made the book. I was afraid when it seemed the story was coming to an end....but I was only halfway through the book! I just knew that it would drag on and I would end up hating it by the end. However, it turns out that there's two parts to the books and each is its own story. It could technically be two separate books, but it does work better as one book with two parts.

I also foun ...more

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Feb 06, 2014 Shivaji Das rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Part love story, part road-trip, part mystery novel, Zaremba's story is essentially a story of the terrible potential consequences of unchecked state power on otherwise detached individuals, minding their own business. The writer, Michelle Granas, centres her plot around two realities of Poland in the recent past, the vengeful excesses of the Law and Justice Party rule and the secretive operations of the CIA in Poland. The two characters suffering from these powers are Zaremba, a street-smart bu ...more

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May 14, 2013 Felicity Terry rated it liked it · review of another edition

A debut novel from author Michelle Granas which, once I'd got used to the wonderful but highly implausible idea of thirty plus polio survivor Cordelia with her withered leg and hand as the most unlikeliest of action heroines ...... ever, I quite enjoyed.

Though essentially a story of politics played dirty, of corruption in high places, of the abuse of power, if like me you aren't a huge fan of this genre please don't dismiss this quirky novel out of hand as Zeremba has much more to offer.

A stor ...more

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Jun 26, 2013 K.N. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It's rare to find a book to whole-heartedly recommend. The outstanding quality of Zaremba, or Love and the Rule of Law is its charm and warmth. From the moment it began I enjoyed the setting and all the characters. The first half of the book involves a political situation in Poland, but then the second half brings in the interference of the CIA. I might have thought this far-fetched at one time, but now such events are in the news. The book is not a political thriller, however. It's more for peo ...more

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Jun 20, 2013 Kelley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-requested-review

Novel received courtesy of the author, review was optional

I enjoyed this novel immensely! "Zaremba" is a novel of political intrigue as well as a love story. Cordelia meets Darek Zaremba briefly when she applies for a job with his development company. Because the Polish government is so full of corruption, Zaremba is accused of bribing an official as part of a business deal. By this time Cordelia and Zaremba are in love and he is in hiding at her family home. Her family is eccentric and complica ...more

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Mar 11, 2017 Steve rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Zaremba (whose first name is rarely used), is a businessman in Poland in around 2007. Through two very different events, he meets Cordelia, (whose last name is rarely used). Their qualities are very different, he a robust, outgoing successful man who is soon facing difficulties with the political infrastructure, she, a physically disabled homebody of meek means and conservative lifestyle. They do share several things, among them a reluctance to express their genuine emotions and a strong core of ...more

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May 02, 2015 Harry Allagree rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a beautiful love story! It deals with real life & people on so many levels in modern Poland: able bodied/physically challenged; wealthy/poor; values/lack of values; law/disorder, especially in the area of politics. Many elements of Granas' novel are similar to her other book, "Swans Are Fat Too". The rather unusual relationship which develops between Cordelia & Dariusz/Darek in the midst of almost fantastical social circumstances is quite intriguing & is an eloquent demonstration of how ...more

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Mar 10, 2015 Enid L. Lapham rated it it was amazing

Love changes everything

Cornelia may have always been content to remain unobserved. All the pity, stares and uncomfortable questions. But she would do anything for her parents, so could go for help even though she struggled. Zaremba saw past the weakened limbs and crutch to the beauty. Their love strengths not only Cornelia, but her family. The struggle with guns government agencies kept me reading. I liked the bits of Polish included.

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Nov 23, 2017 Maureen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book deserves more readers. Sort of a modern day retelling of Sleeping Beauty if you look at it from Cordelia's POV. It is a darker tale from Zaremba's side which calls to mind how people are being tried by the media here in the US these days. A darkly comic fairy tale for adults, happy ending included. I really enjoyed it. ...more

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Jun 21, 2013 Judie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I loved the first part of this book. It was different and intriguing with some wonderful characters. The second part left me cold. The story seemed absurd and I lost interest.

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Oct 16, 2013 Beatrix rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

I got an email from the author some time ago, she asked me whether I’d be interested in this novel. The book seemed interesting – I was mostly intrigued by the strange incongruity between the title and the plot outline: the title sounded like that of an 18th century novel (the novels of Henry Fielding and Samuel Richardson came to my mind), but the blurb revealed that the book is set in the 21st century, and the plot seemed modern and „serious” enough. Actually – I was wondering whether it’s sti I got an email from the author some time ago, she asked me whether I’d be interested in this novel. The book seemed interesting – I was mostly intrigued by the strange incongruity between the title and the plot outline: the title sounded like that of an 18th century novel (the novels of Henry Fielding and Samuel Richardson came to my mind), but the blurb revealed that the book is set in the 21st century, and the plot seemed modern and „serious” enough. Actually – I was wondering whether it’s still possible to write serious (or let’s say: literary) fiction in the 21st century with a title like this, so I asked for a copy of the book.

So, the story of Zaremba takes place in the 2000s, in Poland. The heroine is Cordelia, an unbelievably virtuous woman of 30-odd years. She is half-invalid, so she rarely ventures outside from her secluded home, instead, she spends her time taking care of her family members who are quite out of this world and/or mentally ill. Her father is an old university professor whose conversation is almost exclusively made up of quotes from poems; her mother is seriously delusional; and her brother is a modern-day cave-dweller incapable of normal communication with people. None of them has much to do with the world outside, but later it turns out that sometimes they are capable of action when there’s a crisis.

At the beginning of the story, Cordelia accidentally meets Zaremba, a rich, mysterious and very attractive businessman. Zaremba is fleeing from the authorities who are after him – for perhaps concocted reasons. Cordelia’s family hides him, and Cordelia quickly develops a love interest in Zaremba during the days they spend together, but in the meanwhile she’s constantly fighting with her conscience because – despite her love for him – she’s not entirely sure that Zaremba is innocent, and she’s unable to really attach herself to someone who might just be guilty of some crime. Anyway, Cordelia decides to help Zaremba in his fight for the truth, and the two of them get into quite a lot of dangerous situations while they try to prove the man’s innocence.

For me, this is a very strange novel – for the reason I already hinted at before. Obviously, I’m exaggerating here, but I guess the last time someone wrote a serious novel about a disadvantaged-but-morally-impeccable heroine getting together with an impossibly-masculine-quasi-bad-guy (who may not a bad guy after all) was sometime in the 19th century. Yet, this is a very contemporary novel, not only because it was published in 2013, but also because the problems/conflicts it features are very contemporary. The main theme of the novel (besides the adventurous, sometimes funny, sometimes truly heart-wrenching story of Cordelia’s and Zaremba’s love) is the seedy side of politics in a relatively newly democratized country: there’s corruption here; there’s the deliberate misinterpretation of laws; and there are witch-hunts going on against people who happen to stand in the way of the political elite. (Zaremba is also the victim of one such witch-hunt.)

The love story reminiscent of the 19th century and the main conflict which is very much of the 21st century form a curious mixture, and I must add that there’s not a trace of postmodernism and irony here (there’s quite a lot of humor, though, of a very enjoyable kind) – so this is serious. And my mind somehow objects to this because I live in the post-postmodern age, and I’m used to books which are ironic through and through; even the realistic books I know are realistic in an ironic way. And Zaremba is definitely not ironic, and somehow the sheer seriousness of the story makes this book a bit unreal(istic) to me.

But at the same time I hugely enjoyed reading this novel, I was constantly worried about the protagonists, I was anxious about their well-being, and I kept thinking: „oh, please, let this end well”. I’m no longer much used to this feeling of involvement, but I’m happy to have experienced it again.

And anyway – perhaps this is already the post-post-postmodern era, and it’s possible again to write romantic-adventurous, let’s-fight-for-the-truth stories – seriously, and entertainingly. ...more

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Nov 23, 2013 Kara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: regular-copies, first-reads, 2013

I entered a number of contests on Goodreads in attempt to win Michelle Granas's novel Zaremba -- or Love and the Rule of Law because the book seemed like one that would be highly likely to prove a valuable, worthwhile read. On the other hand, I didn't expect it would be a real stand-out among novels I've read on the whole.

Eventually, when I was about to lose all hope regarding my luck in this matter and stop looking for the giveaways -- which only take a few moments to enter, I found myself the I entered a number of contests on Goodreads in attempt to win Michelle Granas's novel Zaremba -- or Love and the Rule of Law because the book seemed like one that would be highly likely to prove a valuable, worthwhile read. On the other hand, I didn't expect it would be a real stand-out among novels I've read on the whole.

Eventually, when I was about to lose all hope regarding my luck in this matter and stop looking for the giveaways -- which only take a few moments to enter, I found myself the winner of a free copy(!) My reading experience was fully in keeping with the expectations stated above. This was a very worthwhile read, but you don't see me giving it a full five stars here.

This is not to say Zaremba didn't surprise me -- indeed, I was happy to find Granas's work to possess in abundance qualities that are about as rare as they are valuable. Specifically, this novel is exceptional for the depth and breadth of its wisdom and insights, which are consistently of the highest caliber and manage to be as clearly stated as they are rich and original in quality. Granas has an ability to identify and express, with outstanding precision, the heart of the matter as it were. The length of this novel raises one's suspicion, but please be assured Granas never wastes words writing prose that's stuck on the trees at the expense of a secure and direct link to a crystal-clear view of the forest.

Another really important quality of this novel for the prospective reader to consider it's nowhere near as dense a read as its length and heavy subject matter might suggest. More counterintuitively in light of the same, it is not a particularly difficult read in terms of literary style either! One can move through it at a regular, brisk pace if desired; it seems obvious to me that clarity was of paramount importance to the author. Granas never experiments with any abstract literary forms, and this text does not manifest any signs of an authorial concern with creating intricate, multi-layered prose -- even insomuch as doing so would not compromise clarity. This novel is remarkable for its style; Granas always cuts straight to the heart of the matter.

I am very impressed with this book, and I look forward to reading this novel again as well as to reading more of this author's work! Thanks for reading/skimming my thoughts. I hope they are somehow helpful. ...more

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Oct 20, 2016 Laura (Book Scrounger) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: eastern-europe, owned, 1910s, vt-reading-challenge-2016, favorite-female-protagonists, 500-plus-pages

This was an interesting read. I first saw it on Goodreads, and didn't realize it was self-published until I got it. Self-published works can really be hit or miss sometimes, but in this case the text looked like it was well edited, so I wasn't constantly being distracted by typos like I am with some self-published books -- definite plus.

This book is difficult to categorize, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's sort of a love story, but also a bit of a mystery, but probably more political/so This was an interesting read. I first saw it on Goodreads, and didn't realize it was self-published until I got it. Self-published works can really be hit or miss sometimes, but in this case the text looked like it was well edited, so I wasn't constantly being distracted by typos like I am with some self-published books -- definite plus.

This book is difficult to categorize, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's sort of a love story, but also a bit of a mystery, but probably more political/social commentary in the end. I enjoyed reading a bit about a different culture, that wasn't *so* different from mine that I felt lost. Probably it's good once in a while for an American to read a story in which Americans are not the good guys. Even as an American, I didn't feel that the political commentary was unfair.

I enjoyed Cordelia's character, and even identified with her a bit, having lived overseas for a little while and been a bit sheltered myself. In the first half of the book, the focus is more on the Cordelia/Zaremba story, while the second half is more political intrigue. In the beginning I thought I saw a few parallels between their story and Jane Eyre, one of my favorite novels, in the way the two met and their difference in social status.

Overall though, I felt the love story lacked something. We hear several times about the fact that Cordelia has feelings for Zaremba, but not a whole lot of exploration beyond that. I'm pretty sure she loves him, but so many of the actual intimate moments are glossed over. I'm not saying I wanted a bunch of sensual, mushy love scenes or anything -- in fact, their absence was mostly good, and I really liked a lot of their conversations -- but I wish there had been more moments between them that actually conveyed intimacy on Cordelia's end -- because it seems it's mostly just alluded to rather than shown.

But I really like the fact that we get an actual flawed heroine. Not just with stupid chick flick flaws like "she laughs too loud" or something -- but a legitimate physical disability, and an actual crutch that she needs in order to get around. And I really like how she grows by the end of the story -- how it appears that both she and Zaremba have helped each other change for the better.

Even though I didn't find this a huge page turner (which is fine -- not all books with action have to raise my blood pressure the whole time), I still enjoyed it. It's worth savoring.

...more

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Jun 06, 2013 Deb rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-contemporary

As I started reading the book, I was really drawn by its main character, Cordelia. Cordelia is a strong young woman who is supporting most of her family through her work as a translator. She was disfigured by polio as a child and can’t walk without a crutch, and this has clearly had devastating effects on her sense of self-worth, yet she’s taken on not only the financial burdens of her family, but the emotional ones as well. Her mother suffers from severe dementia and needs round the clock care. As I started reading the book, I was really drawn by its main character, Cordelia. Cordelia is a strong young woman who is supporting most of her family through her work as a translator. She was disfigured by polio as a child and can’t walk without a crutch, and this has clearly had devastating effects on her sense of self-worth, yet she’s taken on not only the financial burdens of her family, but the emotional ones as well. Her mother suffers from severe dementia and needs round the clock care. Her father and brother are only slightly more functional.

The book starts with Cordelia driving with her father when they get stuck on a quiet road in the mud. Cordelia has to walk to the nearest farmhouse, which is a ways away, where she seeks help. Zaremba answers the door and helps push their car out of the mud. Only Zaremba is actually on the run himself – he’s been framed for corruption, he says, by the Polish government.

I loved the slow build of Cordelia and Zaremba’s friendship, and his relationship with her family. It almost reminded me of how Elizabeth and Darcy get to know each other in Pride and Prejudice – not all at once, not love at first sight, but as a series of steps and missteps. Also, I really liked the attention to language in this book. Author Michelle Granas is a translator, as is the character of Cordelia, so much attention is paid to how people address each other and the words they use, and how languages differ.

My one criticism of the book is that it really reads like two books, and, as it was pretty long, the second half might have worked better as a sequel. There is a lot of information about Polish government, but more explanation would have been helpful for the non-Polish reader.

All in all I was very impressed with this book and I think even if you have no interest in Poland you would still enjoy it for the characters, story, and great writing.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an objective review.
...more

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Dec 12, 2013 Angeliki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, would-make-a-good-movie, romance, politics, polish

Some time ago I received a message from the author of this book asking me whether I would be interested in it, so she sent me a copy. Michelle Granas is a self published writer worthy of our attention.

The book is divided in two parts that differ from each other. The first part is more slow-paced and more concerned around the life of Cordelia, a polio victim and Darek, a strong and capable businessman involved in politics and gives the space for the relationship between the two protagonists to be ...more

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Mar 29, 2015 Linda Fagioli-Katsiotas rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: madly-in-love-with

Good writing is good writing! And that’s what this book is—first and foremost. For that reason, Zaremba has a place on my “madly in love with” shelf. The story takes us on a wild ride of love and suspense. The characters are delightful, the action and dialogue perfect. Part one of the book pulls you in and then you stay for Part two because you are completely in love with the characters. The overall theme, on many layers, is the moral dilemma that humanity grapples with in the incidences of life ...more

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Oct 18, 2014 Cheryl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a book about Poland, but the way it reads, reminds me of some Indian or Afghan or Russian writing, perhaps because the heroine takes a 'what will be, will be' view of the world. In spite of this, she muddles along, doing what she thinks is right. For example, on her way to a job interview, she nearly gets killed rescuing a mongrel from traffic; then, not knowing what to do with it, she takes it to the interview in her ruined hose and muddied suit.

In a way, this is a Cinderella story. The ...more

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May 28, 2014 Sharon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: fiction, first-reads, literature-classics

Michelle Granas has written a sophisticated literary novel with a special turn of phrase and tone. Cordelia, the main character, is an intelligent young woman, saddled with an odd, mentally ill and aging, but harmless family. She's taken responsibility for all of them and is the "mother figure". During a mishap, she and her father meet a man briefly who helps them out. As happens in life, coincidence brings the man into her life again under different circumstances.

Corrupt politics in a struggli ...more

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Aug 17, 2013 Anna Anjos rated it really liked it · review of another edition

My favorite thing about the book is probably the humor in the conversations between Cordelia and other protagonists, deep, elegant and philosophical.

Cordelia is not a likeable personage, in my opinion, at least not at first, despite all her good intentions and high morals. She is stuck and does not even notice it, her recent 10 years were the same activities, routine, boredom and hardly any development. She is a person of sacrifice, to her family, to society and possibly to moral. She does not ...more

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Jun 24, 2014 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fans

[Won through first reads.]

Before starting this book, I did not really know what to expect. The synopsis sounded interesting, but, with a main character who is very different from your average novel heroine, it only remained to be seen whether the author hadn't put too much emphasis on the disability of Cordelia. Luckily, this was not the case at all - sure, her disability plays a role, but it is in no way the centre of the story. Don't get me wrong - a disabled main character is not something th ...more

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May 02, 2013 Lianne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, contemporary

I received a review copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Zaremba is a charming novel despite of some of the serious themes that the story touches on: issues of corruption, political systems, black ops, bureaucracy and trust in government. The charm lies in the characters and their interactions. Cordelia was a great character; she’s led a fairly sheltered and secluded life but isn’t afraid to stand her ground, especially when things get mad. I enjoyed her rapport w ...more

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Jan 11, 2015 Carolyn rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I was initially drawn to this book because I share the surname in the title. The author sent me a free copy last spring but I didn't really start reading it until last week.

I must say at the outset that I really dislike the female protagonist. I don't find her believable as a 21st century adult in her 30s. The fact that she has a physical disability doesn't explain how she can be so ignorant of the world, when she has the internet and television and is supposedly educated. Her sexual immaturity ...more

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Dec 09, 2014 Mary Hosmar rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

This intriguing novel, set in modern-day Poland, recounts the tale of a shy, handicapped young lady and the suave, modern building contractor who owe each other their freedom, and possible their life.
During the course of the tale, we learn much about politics and the dangers of a repressive state, something which resonates in today’s increasingly restrictive culture as more of the unrestricted freedoms we take for granted are being pared away. And Ms. Granas manages to relay all this in a grippi ...more

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May 06, 2015 Elise Darcy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a well crafted story set against the backdrop of political corruption and
abuse of power in Poland.

It is essentially a love story played out between two very different characters which makes it such a compelling read.

Disfigured by polio as a child Cordelia is responsible for the well being of her immediate family. An ageing academic father, a brother who rarely goes out in public and her mother who is suffering from bouts of mental instability. Cordellia becomes involved with Zaremba, a ...more

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Jul 05, 2017 Kathleen rated it it was amazing

This was a terrific read! This book has a lot going on: it's a love story, a story of a woman's coming out of her shell and living up to her potential, and also a political thriller. The book is set during the time period when the PiS party, which is also currently the ruling party in Poland, was in power the first time, and in part, it is a commentary on how politicians can claim to be restoring the rule of law while doing just the opposite. It's not only a commentary about Polish politics, but ...more

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Mar 29, 2015 Kim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Zaremba, or Love and the Rule of Law is the story of a shy polio victim who spends her life taking care of her rather odd family. Over a unique course of events she becomes involved with a man who is running from the law. She has to decide whether she believes him that the charges are baseless, or believes the state propaganda machines.

The first half of this book completely captivated me and I couldn't stop recommending it to everyone I talked to. As the book progressed however it became less b ...more

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Nov 06, 2013 Nanci de Suffren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Wow! This is a definite roller coaster, thought provoking story. This is one of those edge of your seat kind of stories that is more than a little uncomfortably close to what many must agree is close to the reality of international espionage.

This is not a spy story. It is a story of what secret policing agencies do in the name of national security and defending the interests of their countries. It is those interests and the lack of policing and accountability of those agencies that makes this a ...more

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Feb 11, 2014 Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-in-brazil, paperback, first-reads, fiction

I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.
Despite its length, this was one of those books that I was reluctant to put down as soon as I started reading it.I look forward to recommending it to friends who appreciate quiet, rich storytelling in modern fiction. The setting and characters were unusual, but mesmerizing. The story unfolded slowly at first, but was not tedious. In fact, the pacing allowed time for the beauty of the writing to shine through. I felt a range of emotions towards the mai ...more

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Sep 12, 2013 Underground Book Reviews rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Introspective and charming, Zaremba: or Love and the Rule of Law is a tale of political intrigue with a cast of quirky characters. The main character, Cordelia, is a smart and intuitive individual, with a droll sense of humor and a steadfast sense of honor and honesty. She is well-read, well-traveled, and she supports her family by working as a freelance translator. But polio has crippled her, leaving her with a limp and very little self-esteem. She spends her days taking care of her senile moth ...more

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Michelle Granas

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Michelle Granas lives in Warsaw. In addition to writing novels, she has worked as a translator, including for various international organizations, EU bodies, and high government officials. She is happy to receive correspondence or friend requests.