It's not really a romance, more like a really bitter satire. Young Kostek is a son of wealthy emigrants. He keeps falling in love and bringing home women his parents cannot accept. Finally they decide to send him to the land they came from to find a proper wife there. Unfortunately, many things changed since they emigrated and Kostek sees a country and people completely different from what he expected. I remember how shocked I was reading this book for the first time - dirt, laziness, drinking, horrible gossip, cheating and despair - it's definitely not a fairy tale. I quite like this book, but it makes me very sad. ( )