Swans Are Fat Too

by Michelle Granas

Natalia Lanska, formidable Polish pianist, is dead. No one is really sorrowing, except maybe her granddaughter Hania, whose own career as a concert artist never took off due to a terrible weight problem. Feeling unwanted, Hania arrives in Warsaw for the funeral hoping for a warm welcome from her relatives. Instead, they saddle her with their appalling children, decamp, and refuse to return. Hania’s situation is at first improved and then complicated when a neighbor ─ the very correct, very austere descendant of an old Polish family ─ asks her to proofread an amateur history project. Hania sets to work with a will, and Pan Doctor Prince Konstanty Radzimoyski is surprised when his ideas get more editing than he bargained for. Typing pages of the past, rediscovering her native city, and playing the piano all contribute to taking Hania’s mind off her problems, but can’t change her awareness that the children need help and that her growing attachment to her employer will only give her pain. The summer Hania spends between love, hostility, and the weight of history tests her resourcefulness, but her fresh ideas and readiness to carry on brighten the lives of her new acquaintances. Still, no one, least of all Hania herself, expects that her beautiful qualities will make Konstanty forget her figure and other excess baggage. This book contains a history of Poland in a nutshell and is about seeing beyond the conventions.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Poland, Contemporary Romance, Novels, Womens Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written book, that entwined a slightly unconventional love story, together with a history of Poland (very clever). I never realised just how much trouble and conflict this country had suffered over the centuries. The author gave such vivid descriptions of Poland, that it has a left me with a fascination for it that I didn't previously have. I loved Hania & Konstanty. The kids however, who were left in the charge of Hania, were a nightmare, but of course it made the story that much more interesting. This was a pleasant, interesting, and easy read, that neither taxed nor traumatised. Very enjoyable.

[Sportyrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soul-restoring, intellectual cutesie, sensitive altruism, historical walks in the rain.

Hania gets more than she bargains for when she arrives in her Polish homeland from New York. Missing the funeral of her grandmother due to a delayed flight, she finds herself in an impossible situation. She turns up at her aunt and uncles place, only to realise they have hightailed out of there and left her to look after the kids aged 6 and 15. There are no instructions and no return date. She gradually takes on more responsibility once she gets a grip on the situation. Like Uncle Buck experienced, the kids were monsters to begin with and Hania needed to come up with a plan quick smart, Mary Poppins-style.

She soon meets a love interest. Their love language is the discussion of Polish history. Their academic flirting if you could call it that, were on in the margins of his history book that she was editing for him. He was moved by her intelligence and personality. Like Mr Darcy, he had some prejudices, only in this case, about her obesity. And he struggled to keep his feelings at bay.

I didn’t expect to be so moved by this book. Including the romance, which was very clean. And also how selflessly she put the needs of the kids before all else. She is a gentle soul and I’d like to have known her, had she not been a fictional character.

The only deduction was for the overindulgence in history. It was too long at parts and I was impatient to get back to the drama. Though it was beautifully written.

I offered this to book club as an option and it was rejected. Their loss!

[Kah Cherub · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first saw this book listed on Goodreads First Reads and the title instantly caught my eye. I saw it had no reviews, but the blurb was just as attractive as the title, so I went over to Amazon and surprise, surprise! It only cost U$ 1.00! What. A. Gem. It left me with a couple of tears in my eyes after the last chapter, which I was reluctant to finish, simply because I felt that I had not had enough of Hania. What a lovely book! A real find from a new author. So very well written and engaging! The characters were incredibly well portrayed, very realistic in their flaws and strong emotions. Even the pieces of history were interesting. There aren't many big/fat/obese/overweight characters in books out there, especially NOT as the heroine, so it was very intriguing/bittersweet to read about a realistic woman and the way society treated her. I have to admit that I knew nothing about Poland before I read "Swans Are Fat Too", but what I do know is that those things Hania has to go through are not particular to that country. I felt like could really relate to her, to see the world as she saw it (I could never be as patient as she was, however. Those kids were terrible! LOL).
As I had the pleasure of mentioning to Michelle Granas in a message here, I would love to read more about Hania and Konstanty! Maybe a short story with what happens after? LOL. ;P The girl realy needs to start playing the piano professionally again! I am also quite curious whether her relationship with her father will improve and know more about the future of the children, as well as of the baby.
I'm certain that in no time more readers will come to her with these same wishes! Without a doubt, the best contemporary I've read in a long time! Here's hoping I win the giveaway, because I'd love to revisit it again. ;D

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

An alright slice-of-life romance, although I’ve read better from Michelle Granas. Michelle Granas usually writes intellectual romances – romances of minds, and this is no different. That was certainly the most enjoyable part of the book.

Hania is making the best of what she's got. And what she's got isn't the best. She's been told she can't be a pianist despite her tremendous talent – simply because she's very obese and the public won't like looking at her. Hania's also been thrown into a family situation – having to watch two very problematic children, her cousins, whose parents have dumped them like some unwanted things. She's also got a little problem with the fact that she's got no money, said parents haven't left any, the kids are hiding something and she's got quite a crush on the guy upstairs.

The book reminded me of a Victorian novel – a kind family-oriented woman, who is in no position to become a sought-for companion or bride, takes care of children, is their only hope, is also forced into somewhat tough circumstances. However, it also fell short in certain regards – a somewhat loose and not very satisfying ending, the fact that Hania had to lose some weight before the man upstairs admitted he was in love with her (although I’m sure it wasn’t meant that way), and just the general way the story is told. Definitely three stars, but if you want a better read from this author, check out Zaremba, or Love and the Rule of Law.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a couple of factors in this romance that appeal to me such as the female character Hania is an ordinary woman who has a dysfunctional family who take advantage over her. I think alot of us know what that feels like. She realizes the flaws in her family and does have trouble standing up for herself but she is a nice, giving person. At times this tendency to be nice does give the advantage of her family to take advantage over her. Despite all that she still loves her family and tries to help her younger cousins who live in Poland while she is vacationing over there. Once she arrived at her Polish cousin's pre-war apartment to her horror they left her with their children. So, she became an unpaid housesitter and baby sitter to her younger cousins. Not to mention the selfish couple never left her any funds to maintain the household or their children. So, the lovely vacation Hania was looking forward to didn't exactly happen. But she plugged on and did best she could meanwhile she found a part time job typing for this Polish doctor. Who happens to live in apartment above theirs and they started a working friendship. At this point you'll have to read the book to find out all the escapades she finds herself in and discover how everything ended. I really liked this book I thought it was sweet and some of the historical facts about Poland that popped up in each chapter was interesting as well.

[K.N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swans Are Fat Too is a delightful book. It is thought-provoking and full of humor, with very engaging characters. Hania, the young pianist, or former pianist, has a lot of reasons for dwelling on her own problems, but instead she puts her feelings aside and concentrates on other people. The romance develops not as a result of physical attraction but because of a similarity of minds, and is no less real for that! Unusual characters and an unusual setting come to life for the reader. I felt as if I were in Warsaw, seeing the swans and smelling the flowering trees. I very much enjoyed Zaremba, by the same author, and this is another "favorite book ever" for me.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for this. At first I did not like the writing at all. However just when I was about to give up, I found myself absorbed by the story. The historical interludes and discussions about Polish culture and national identity were quite interesting. The family dynamics - well those were screwed up but interesting too. On the one hand Hania seemed to allow her family to ride roughshod over her, but on the other she faced her crises on her own (without rushing to her "knight in shining armor" to fix everything for her).I wasn't thrilled with the ending, but there's still a lot to like about this story.

[Íris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvellous book, hard to write down in words.

A simple plot, that doesn't sound too promising turns out to be one of the best books I've ever read.

After the death of Natalia Lanski, a great Polish pianist, her granddaughter Hania flies back from New York, where she works as a piano teacher to - initially - attend the funeral and spend some time with her Polish family, with whom she hasn't been since she was six.
She finds the house upside down with two chaotic children - Maks and Kalina - to be taken care of, for her dismay. Their father is a famous pianist, traveling through Europe on gigs, while their mother is a painter. But they're the worst parents one could wish for, they're negligent and totally unaware (purposedly) of their children's behaviour. Maks and Kalina were accostumed to being left alone for weeks or even months, being left unattended and ignored by their parents.
Hania finds out that their parents won't be coming back any time soon so she is in charge of them. Needless to say that these children have no idea of what respect is or what it represents. Hania is probably the most patient character I've ever seen in a book, never giving up on them, knowing they were not her responsibility and taking care of them with her own short income.
In the meantime she meets her upstairs neighbour - Konstanty - who is a doctor with a deep passion for History. He hands her annotations of his texts in Polish to be translated into English and a beautiful romance flourishes out of this interaction. As they keep exchanging e-mails, they fall in love. But Hania doesn't feel any good about her looks: she's obese and it affects her views in many levels in her life, including her love life.

Although there is a minor plot hole in the story, this is a great read for Summer or for the weekend. Not only I fell in live with Hania's character - that really emphasizes that looks are not everything -, but I ended up learning a few things about Poland's history, which I knew nothing about!

Two words: READ IT!
I totally recommend it. I wouldn't if it wasn't good enough. If you read some of my reviews - specially on romance lit - you will see that in that matter I'm hardly pleased.
I hope you have a great time reading it.

[dianne b. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure how i feel about this book focusing so much on her weight as the Terminator of All Dreams. Perhaps it reflects the ‘real world’ and its prejudices. But in a woman as bright and intellectually unconventional as Hania i would have hoped to have found some body positivity by this point in her life.

The History of Poland being written within the plot was clever; a way to pose philosophical questions (why are all the statues in Europe men with weapons, or weapons and crucifixes, who, likely, were responsible for the deaths of thousands?), or challenges - why do we celebrate violence at all? And using the distance of email made fairly intimate conversing seem safe. Hania, herself, was enchanting. Some of her insights were hilarious:
“English novels were about requited love...French novels... were about love, disillusionment, and self-knowledge - and more love, and more self-knowledge. American novels were all about struggle - for money, position, survival, something. In American novels it was always a battle. In Russian novels it was all suffer, sin, and suffer. Polish novels, whatever their ostensible subject, were only about Poland, always and toujours Poland…”
Helpful codification, no?

But i found all of the adults in her family unbelievably abstruse and unreal. No one, without a really good personal assistant, could function and be that out of touch with all things real. Food? Electricity? Money? Come on.

The writing was engaging and seemed to improve as the book progressed, but that ending. Really.
”..as she lifted her foot to the step.”
Made for TV? Deus ex machina? Cinderella? Too cute.

I learned a fair amount of Polish history including about Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Sarmatism. So there ya go.

[Terra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an exciting find for me and one of the best novels I have read recently. Hania is a talented classical pianist whose career is damaged by her being obese. She is told that though she is gifted she can not have a career as a concert pianist because “you are not charismatic, not eccentric and you are fat.” Ouch. She travels to Warsaw to visit her aunt and uncle and they disappear and leave her with her two young cousins who have been abandoned by their lousy parents. Hania is tender toward her cousins and takes care of them, and develops a crush on their neighbor, Konstanty, who becomes intrigued by her. I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but must say that Granas is a lyrical writer, who brings us humor, pathos and a hint of a love story, interwoven with snippets of Polish history. I already bought her next book.

[Kalyan Panja · Rating 4 out of 5]

An out of the ordinary wonderful paperback extremely finely on paper, appealing, interesting along with chock-full of the funny side with an exceptional intertwine of Poland's times gone by in the midst of an avant-garde modern-day fairy-tale of adore and sacrifice. The attractive temperaments were exceedingly finely depicted, especially down-to-earth in their imperfections as well as strapping sentiments.

[Elizabeth Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming and entertaining tale, very unexpected altogether. The overweight heroine was beautifully drawn and I completely empathised with her. I liked the way the children were apparently ghastly until one came to realise why they behaved the way they did. And the hero's gradual build-up of interest worked well. The end absolutely charmed me. A gorgeous literary romance.

[Faye Ridpath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an unconventional love story.

I was very captivated.

I loved the Polish history that was included. It was very well written and kept my attention.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swans Are Fat Too is by Michelle Granas. I didn’t think I would like this book at first. I thought it started out rather slow. I continued reading it because it was about Warsaw, Poland. I had visited there and wanted to see how detailed the setting was and if I remembered of the names of the buildings. I was amazed at how the places came back to me as they visited different places. The story itself became more interesting as I read and became acquainted with the characters. It turned out to be a pretty good book.
Hania Lanski is a pianist and could be a very famous one if it weren’t for her figure. To put it simply, she was fat. She did get a job at a school, teaching first graders to sing. She wanted more than that. Her Grandmother died in Poland and since he couldn’t go, her Father let Hania go in his place. She was to visit her aunt and uncle for the summer. Things began to go wrong from the time she got on the plane. It was delayed for hours and by the time she reached Poland, she had missed her Grandmother’s funeral. Then, no one was there to meet her so she had to take a cab. The driver seemed to think the roads were a race track so, although the building he stopped at looked uninhabited, she got out. She went through the gate and began remembering where she was and made it to the third floor where her Uncle’s apartment (formerly her Grandmother’s). When she finally got into the apartment because Konstanty Radzimoyski knocked louder on the door. He lived upstairs and she had met him when she was 5 and spent the summer with her Grandmother. Her cousins, Kalina and Maks, were not very hospitable and the apartment was dirty and cluttered. Kalina was 15 and Maks was 6. They had grown use to their parents going off and leaving them with babysitters. To them, Hania was just another babysitter. Hania gets a call from her Uncle explaining he and his wife couldn’t get home for a few days. Despite what she tells him, he ignores everything she says, just like her Father had. It ends up they don’t come home at all that summer.
Konstanty is a Russian prince whose family has fallen on rough times. However, they had survived World War II. Konstanty had gone to the United States and become a doctor. He returned to Poland to practice medicine. He is also writing a history of Poland for his sister to put in a booklet for tourists. He has a girlfriend; but is drawn to help Hania and comes to be friends with her.
What trouble can Kalina and Maks cause for Hania? How much help can Konstanty be for them? When will Hania go back to the States? What will happen to Kalina and Maks?

[Shree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note : A Review of this book is up @ Readers' Muse

The protagonist, Hania is an "healthy" ex-pianist who arrives in her homeland, Poland to attend the funeral of her Grandmother. Fate has other plans for her for her uncle has left his kids alone in his house thereby forcing Hania to baby sit them. Hania adapts to the situation and takes care of the kids until her uncle returns. Along the way she meets the much eligible bachelor Konstanty who happens to be a doctor by profession. Konstanty is on a project to write some history articles for his sister. He offers Hania the job of editing the articles he wrote for Hania is in search for a temporary job in Warsaw to keep her occupied. They find love in-spite of Hania's Excess Baggage.

The writer taught me a good bit of Poland's history and architecture through Konstanty's history articles. It is apparent that the writer has done a good research. The whole Hania-Konstanty's courtship was written beautifully. It is very heart warming to read a tale where a man actually falls for a woman for her heart and intellect. Beauty plays more than a vital role in relationship, to look beyond beauty it takes immense maturity.The writer managed to drive home this point.

The characterization was bang on. I loved Hania's characterization. In Spite of being overweight and clumsy she is confident in subtle ways and handles offensive comments patiently. Her character is an inspiration to people with low self esteem. The other thing that Hania taught me was patience. I don't think I would be as patient as Hania when she handled those kids.

The narration was perfect with an equal balance of emotions. The one thing that I loved was the wry humor.Not many writers attempt that owing to its very nature, but this writer managed to get it right.

There are a couple of things that could have been handled better - The history articles and Teen pregnancy. The history articles sort of pulled down the narration midway. They could have been accompanied by pictures or may be could have been written in a better way. Teen pregnancy is a rather sensitive issue that needs to be handled with care. They is a huge scope for emotional maneuvering. I felt the writer didn't make good use of that ground.

A epilogue in the end continuing the subtle romance between Hania and Konstanty could have worked wonders.

Verdict : It's worth a read - but only for slow romance lovers. Not for those "instant romance" lovers who can't appreciate the beauty of proper courtship.

Rating : 4 on 5

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hania è una giovane e talentuosa pianista che però è costretta a insegnare musica in quanto è considerata troppo grassa per avere successo intraprendendo una carriera da concertista.
Alla notizia della morte della nonna, famosa nell'ambito musicale e terribile in quello famigliare, decide di tornare in Polonia, patria d'origine della sua famiglia, per partecipare al funerale.
Quello che non sa è che sarà costretta a rimanere lì ad occuparsi dei suoi strani e a volte inquietanti cuginetti in quanto i loro genitori li hanno lasciati da soli per partire chissà dove senza lasciarle nemmeno un messaggio con istruzioni o consigli.
Alla sua vicenda si interseca la storia della Polonia, che è l'argomento di cui sta scrivendo il nobile e signorile medico Konstanty Radzimoyski che le chiede aiuto per revisionare il suo testo in inglese.

La storia è molto carina e piuttosto realistica, anche se dal mio riassunto non sembrerebbe molto, ma leggendo si riesce proprio a sentire l'atmosfera di Varsavia, la sua storia e il suo presente.
Per me è stato molto interessante imparare qualcosa in modo semplice e accattivante del passato della Polonia senza che venisse sempre tutto ricondotto alla Seconda Guerra Mondiale, che pure viene trattata, e anche vedere come coloro che la abitano ora ci si approccino e come la considerino.
I personaggi sono ben caratterizzati e riusciti, sono riusciti a farsi amare anche se alcuni non sono proprio proprio amabili e si comportano male nei confronti della povera Hania, che è davvero una santa, tanto è buona, dolce e coraggiosa.
Mi sono davvero commossa e non mi capitava da tanto.

[Nanci de Suffren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fat. This word crushes, demeans, destroys. One hears it whispered, giggled, cruelly taunting. But this comes from the blind, the intentionally blind, the selectively blind who manage to see past their own more than skin deep ugliness.

Hannia hides from the world with clothes that cover her shame but more than that, she hides her gifts, her music, her love because all people see is the facade. Her family uses her shamelessly because in their eyes she has no value. She allows it but makes more than the best of it. She creates something good for children who have been discarded as well.

I could relate to Hannia. I understand how she was made to feel. I loved her strength, her perseverance, her fierce sense of responsibility and tenderness towards those awful, desperately unhappy children.

She didn't suddenly become beautiful and turn into a svelte swan but her inner beauty fought its way out, despite her own resistance to the concept that she was beautiful. It took a lot for her to see herself through her own eyes rather than through the eyes of those who insisted she see herself through theirs.

For anyone who has had to fight to be accepted, this story will resonate and maybe give them that push they need to look up and see themselves for who they are and who they can become. It is important to differentiate who has the right to tell you how to feel about yourself. Family should be among those but more importantly, it should be someone who respects you for who you are.

[Estibaliz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book through a Goodreads Giveaway

Ok, so this is a nice reading. Not sure how to catalogue it (romance, comedy, anthropological and a bit of historic novel about Poland...) and not my favorite kind of book, but good anyway.

The fact the main character is an overweight young girl is interesting, although not specially original come to this point, but at least the author achieves the not so simple task of turning Hania into a charming character full of personality; and even when she's pretty naive and a little bit feeble at times, we can see enough of her intellectual brilliance as to understand why Konstanty falls for her against all convention. So yes, I guess these things can happen sometimes and the author makes the situation seem plausible, although our sweet girl has no real competition when it comes to female characters... and yes, the real world is full of gorgeous intelligent women, so that's why this can be a little bit of a romance book, too idealistic at times.

Anyway, the book gets your attention progressively, and the funny events combined with the strokes of drama keep you going effectively. And regarding the rest of the characters in the story... Well, sometimes you'll hate them, sometimes you'll like them, but that's pretty much life. The kids and their parents are a good example of that... but I think the author focus too much in Hania at times, and although the end suffices when it comes to her, surely we wouldn't mind to know a little bit more about what happened to the rest of that bunch of crazy people.

[Charissa Shepard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel drawn to Hania, our hero, and I feel pleased with the weaving of the story. Pacing, tone, & word choice were consistently attractive and engagjng. The character's voices felt authentic.
I appreciated especially the juxtaposition of 1. the problems through the generations of our main characters' families and how that has had real consequences on the present with 2. the history of the country the story takes place in (Poland) and how that has also had real consequences on the present. This was some masterful weaving.
Now for the unpleasant bit: I almost gave up the book in the first 75 pages because of the way a romance was being set up between an overweight woman who has trouble seeing herself and a man who's internal monologue is so fat-phobic.
Spoiler ahead:
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Even up until the end he maintains his problematic cruel air towards her until he is overcome by his emotions. Then he wants to marry her. To me it seems that his change of heart will be ongoing and is just going to keep hurting precious Hania while he unpacks how he perceives women and their value. Standing up to your sister one time does not make you fully prepared to be a good partner to a larger person who will experience discrimination daily. It was an unsatisfying romance. Like, she should be so glad, so lucky, that someone is willing to see her and she'll never find anyone else because of her fatness? The only way someone will treat her with a modicum of respect is if she gives them all her time, labor, effort, nurturing, aaaand also loses some weight?
I don't love reading books that just hammer an injustice deeper into the psyche. Like, I get it, I really do. The author wants to portray a specific reality. But it makes me sad. That's just my preference. Hania deserves a lover who doesn't say such terrible things in his head about her and abandons her for weeks before deciding, "oh well I guess she's smart enough to make up for the weight problem." Ugh.

[Pau Lethani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book on Goodreads First-Reads, so thanks to the author (Michelle Granas) for send me a free copy. My writing in english isn´t good enough but I´ll try to make an acceptable review.

I started this book with any expectations on it. I hadn´t heard about it and the only thing I knew was the synopsis. The plot didn´t interest me at all but I wanted to learn something about Poland since I had read anything about this country.

I was right, the plot is simple and I didn´t really enjoy it. I mean, the important things in this book are the writing style and the characters. I really liked the way the story was written, with a lot of humour and gravity at the same time. It keeps you on reading. Besides, it has those lovely characters whome you get attached to even if you don´t want to. The relationships between them are very realistic, so you identify yourself with them. These are the reasons that made me enjoyed this book so much.

I learned a lot with the fragments of Polish history, they were very interesting.

I loved Maks and Hania, my favourite characters. I was expecting all the book to find out the reason of the title and I was so satisfied when I found out that was a quote from Maks!! What a cutie boy! On the other hand, I felt identified with Hania and her relationship with Konstanty.
I cried a lot with the end, it was very heart-touching.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a quickly read with a bit of Polish history and lovely characters.

[Katarzyna Bartoszynska · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just begging to be made into an incredibly charming rom-com. A very pleasant and surprisingly thoughtful romance, the novel tells the story of Hania, a heavy-set, former concert pianist who returns to her native Poland and gets roped into caring for her cousin's children. She strikes up a friendship with the upstairs neighbor Konstanty, helping him type up his manuscript history of Poland. Chapters of this history are cleverly woven into the story, giving the reader a genuinely interesting tour of Poland's past. Running alongside this narrative, however, is also a really intelligent critique of Poland's ways of reckoning with that past; its problematic national mythos. These reflections on history are the conversational fodder that gradually draws Konstanty and Halina closer.
It's a smarter-that-usual romance novel in many ways; one being that the attraction between the couple is an intellectual one; another being that it eschews both melodrama and narcissism in a really refreshing way.
On a personal note, I also loved the way the author flavored the text with bits of Polish. I have no idea how that would read to non-Polish-speaking readers, but I found it wonderfully evocative.
All in all, a very pleasant book that would be a great companion for travel or a day on the beach.
More detail on the blog...

[Selina Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Some terrific characters and interesting to read a novel set in Poland which I have not done before. The history bits were fascinating.

Pasted from my Amazon review -
I stumbled on this book because the title appealed to me. I quickly checked the synopsis and thought it sounded interesting (and not self-deprecating chick lit as possibly, the title may have hinted) - I had not read a novel set in Poland before.
I am glad I picked it up!
The story is really interesting (I won't reiterate it - read he blurb) and you quickly get pulled into Hania's life and despair for her as she struggles with Maks' and Kalina's behaviour. Some genuine laugh-out-loud moments (ketchup, taps, locked doors) and Hania is such an admirable person, the way she carries on in circumstances that i think, would have seen most people packing their bags and heading back to America. You wonder how someone so balanced can have emerged from such a family!
The historical elements were fasicnating, I knew nothing about Poland, and also broke/contrasted the story of Hania and the children up nicely whilst also allowing Hania's other relationship to develop.

Recommended.

[Reka Beezy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book. I especially liked it because there aren't many non-self-pitying (or I guess I should say non-overly self-pitying, since characters has their woe-is-me moments) obese, female protagonists out there in the world of fiction, so Hania was a breathe of fresh air. Maks was a trip! I loved that little guy cause he KEPT me laughing. I wasn't really that much of a fan of Kalina (she was too much of a sullen teenager and she wasn't as developed as the other characters to me) or Konstanty (you're a grown ass man and you like what you like, damn everybody else!). I could've killed those damn parents for leaving Hania like that, just shameful! (Even Hania's own father was in the wrong!) The character's emotions were portrayed very realistically. I also admit that I didn't know much about Poland before reading this book, so it gave good insight and background. (Poland hearts rebels--love it!) I'd definitely recommend this book!

[Rayene Ziadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it !!!
It was a bit slow at first but then it turned amazing, it was a quick read ( i read it in one sitting) i couldn't put it down, it was really funny at parts especially with Maks's pranks;and The fact that Hania was overweight And she was the heroine was very refreshing and different from what we see in other books.
I also enjoyed the historical part, i didn't know anything about Poland before; The family issues and the struggles she faces were so realistic and easy to relate to,especially for me the denial of Konstanty and Hania's existing feelings, and how Looks,tradition,or even family doesn't matter against one's feelings, i adored how they finally came to realize so and rather surrendered to their heart's wishes.
It was a lovely read and i hope i'll get to read more of Michelle Granas's books ♥

[Harry Allagree · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an unusual novel. Michelle Granas deserves congratulations for tackling a delicate subject: that of obesity. But it's more than just that; it's how she helps us see what it might be like, particularly as a woman, to be obese & to deal with that & people on a day to day basis. She goes even further in developing how an obese person might actually defy society standards & find a deep relationship, with all the implications that has for anybody. What the character Hania is up against in this story which takes place in Poland in the life of a dysfunctional family is a bit mind-boggling. The remarkable way she handles each crisis, not always well, is an eloquent reminder that one "can't judge a book by its cover"! Ms. Granas' writing reflects an honest & mature grasp of human motivation & emotion.

[Phyllis Krall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hania never achieved success as a concert pianist because of her weight problem. When her Polish grandmother, a famous pianist dies, she leaves New York to attend the funeral in Warsaw. Instead of being welcomed by her relatives, Hania finds herself in charge of her two young cousins for the summer. She finds employment with a neighbor, editing his historic works of Poland that give her a greater understanding of her country.
Hania gets more than she bargained for when she finds herself falling in love with her employer and having special feelings for her cousins.
I was happy to receive this book as a giveaway and enjoyed it immensely. One cannot help admiring Hania for her perseverance and sense of humor throughout the book. I liked how the author entwined the history of Poland into the story. This was a great read!

[Cheryl Dietr · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Disclaimer-I won this book in a Goodreads Givewaway*

This a fabulous book. The setting is modern Poland with a look back at the history of the country which makes for insightful reading and gives the story an interesting dynamic. The novel itself is full of interesting somewhat flawed characters who are all searching for love in its many different forms. An excellent book with which to spend a lazy afternoon...the read will certainly be worth your time. Granas is now a new favorite author of mine!

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not care for the writing and none of the characters were likable.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved that this is about Poland. I hardly know anything about that country and this was basically Poland's history in a nutshell.

The story itself is great, too. Hania is an obese woman who learns a lot about herself, her family, and her country and grows (though not in size) over the course of the book. She meets a man she had met once as a child, Konstanty, who happens to be a doctor, but is descended from Polish aristocracy. Now he's just an ordinary-ish man, but he wants to write a history of Poland and gets Hania to help him. She does help him - by challenging his views. I liked both characters a lot.

The only thing I struggled with liking in this book were the kids. I think the author did that on purpose and made them pretty horrible since their parents were THE WORST. Oh my goodness, I couldn't even believe how awful they were and how psychologically messed up the kids were. And I don't know what happened to them in the end, which made me worry ... for fictional characters. I wasn't happy with the ending, despite the romance. I mean, I know the parents will leave again, but I want to know what happens to Kalina and her child!! I did think the whole teenage pregnancy part could have been left out, but I think the author wanted to show how messed up the kids were.

Also, is it just me, or should there be a comma after "fat" in the title? Swans are fat, too. That makes more sense, I think. It drove me crazy the whole time I was reading it. I'm tempted to just take a permanent marker and put it in.

[Sophie Beth Pettigrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swans Are Fat Too

Poland is a country of varied difficult Democratic and despotic history. The book by its editing a brief Polish history for travelers as a part of its happening today story line is about an extended
dysfunctional Polish and Polish-American families and a neighbor family of former aristocrats the pre-soviet era.
Before reading Swans Are Fat Too I had not thought that Swans could be perceived as being fat by anyone. But a six year old boy has his own vision.
My parents were in Poland visiting friends while it was Soviet dominated, extremely poor and cautious in speaking. They were in Warsaw during the uprising, again later to see the positive changes, more like the Poland experienced in the book. I enjoyed my visits to Poland with them.
I appreciated learning how the author's translate were done, loosely, directly by others, original.
Character's developed, grew, changed, showed who they were, created problems for others or learned ways of dealing with the families and friends. All in all a well written, well presented book about Poles and Poland.