ZADUCH. REPORTS ON ALIENATION - MARTA SZAREJKO

The book "Zaduch. Reports on Alienation" by Marta Szarejko is a collection of moving stories of young people who left their native villages and towns in search of a better life in big cities. The author with empathy and sensitivity gives a voice to those who struggle with alienation, guilt and difficulties in adapting to a new environment. It is a reading that encourages reflection on contemporary Poland and the problems faced by those who seek their place.

• Suffocating stories about the search for a better life
• Tales of young people struggling with alienation
• Sensitive look at the problem of alienation
• Reflection on contemporary Poland and its divisions
• Portrait of a generation in search of its place
• Tact and empathy of the author in presenting difficult topics
• A book for everyone who has experienced a change of environment

Joanna Bator in her review emphasizes that Szarejko's book is suffocating stories about young people who moved from villages and towns to cities in search of education, work and a better life. Often contemptuously called "Słoiki", they show more energy and persistence than the locals, fighting to find their place in a new environment. However, this decision has its price – the disruption or breaking of ties with the family, the loss of the first language, alienation and guilt.

Andrzej Muszyński notes that the people described by Marta Szarejko are not distinguished by the fact that they come from the province. Between the lines, they propose intriguing recipes for the disease of divided Poland. He asks if this book is about most of us, or maybe soon about everyone. His words testify to the universal nature of the problems raised by the author.

Marta Szarejko in her reports looks at people who come from the province and live in the city. She talks to her peers, thirty-year-olds who came from small towns to Warsaw. They tell her about their complexes, doubts and longings. About what they miss most in the city and what they particularly hated in the countryside. About how they have changed and how they never feel completely at home anywhere.

The book was published by PWN in 2015 and has 184 pages. It has a format of 204x126 mm and a paperback cover. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand contemporary social and psychological problems related to migration and adaptation to a new environment. The author presents the stories of her heroes with extraordinary sensitivity and tact, giving them a voice and the opportunity to tell about their experiences.