Elena Poniatowska’s Polish lover

The Polish lover
by Elena Poniatowska

1743. Little Stanisław Poniatowski listens attentively to the exploits of his family without imagining what history has in store: his passion with Catherine the Great, his arrival to the throne and the subsequent conspiracies of his closest circle and the neighboring powers, Russia, Austria and Prussia, for destroying everything they have fought for. Will he be able to keep his kingdom together? Two hundred years later, Elena is part of a Mexico that seeks the desired “modernity” and her work as a journalist allows her to be a privileged witness of that transformation, also involving her in experiences of all kinds, from meetings with politicians and guerrillas to irreplaceable loves and losses. .

The Polish Lover is a fascinating journey through the centuries and two unstoppable destinies: that of the last king of Poland, from his childhood and coronation to his inevitable outcome as the biggest loser in a Europe marked by conspiracies, and that of a of her descendants, a unique woman who, at only 10 years old, arrived in Mexico fleeing the wars that devastated the old continent and dedicated herself to a life dedicated to writing, as full of intense and painful moments.

Elena Poniatowska, winner of the 2013 Cervantes Prize, gives us her most personal novel, where intimate language and emotions are linked to the epic story of a kingdom about to disappear. This crowning work in the author’s career reaffirms her surprising originality and her unmatched narrative talent.

Elena Poniatowska. She was born in Paris in 1932, but when she was only nine years old she moved to Mexico. Her career began in journalism. For this work she was awarded the National Journalism Award in Mexico in 1978. She has been named Doctor Honoris Causa by eight universities and awarded the National Prize for Linguistics and Literature in 2002. Her novels include: Lilus Kikus (1954), Hasta no verte Jesús mio (1969), Mazatlán Prize, La noche de Tlatelolco ( 1971), Xavier Villaurrutia Award, Dear Diego, Quiela embraces you (1978), La Flor de Lis (1988), Tinísima (1992), Mazatlán Award, La Piel del Cielo (2001), Alfaguara Award, and The Train Passes First ( 2007), Rómulo Gallegos Award. She has also written short stories, collected in De noche vinos (1979) and Tlapalería (2003), books of interviews, essays and chronicles. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages ​​and her career as a journalist and writer has been recognized with multiple national and international awards. In 2013 she was awarded the Cervantes Prize.