The Perfect Scandal (The Scandal Series)
My dearest Reader,Growing up, I led a double life. (Let me assure you, it wasn't quite as exciting as it sounds.) During the day, I was an all-American girl going to an all-American school doing all-American things. And I loved it. But the moment I got home, I set aside being that American girl and became a full-blooded Polish girl. I spoke fluent Polish, knew all of the latest Polish shows, movies and songs, all without having ever touched Polish soil until I was 14. Every Saturday, while my American friends enjoyed the freedom of their weekends, I was stuck going to Polish school and Polish girl scouts (known as Zuchy). You see, my parents were both born and raised in Poland. Despite coming to the United States and becoming U.S. citizens, they continued to live their lives like any Pole would and expected me to do the same. At times, it was difficult being raised by parents who had completely different cultural expectations of me than the culture surrounding me. I *totally* related to the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Back then, I remember rolling my eyes every time I was expected to attend Polish rallies with my father on Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago. Hoards of men and women throughout the Chicago Metropolitan area came together to wave their Polish flags in front of the Polish consulate for hours on end. At the time, I considered them all to be patriotic freaks. I kept thinking to myself, 'This is America. Not Poland. What are they doing?' It wasn't until I studied European history, and in particular Polish history, that I realized the importance of those rallies. Those Polish men and women had gathered to support the Solidarity movement that was happening in their country on the other side of the world. It was an underground movement against the Russians that took Poland by storm and eventually led to Poland's historic freedom in 1989. It was a monumental occurrence. Poland became an independence nation once again after being oppressed and controlled by the Russians for a total of 173 years. I'm proud to say that I had witnessed history being made. As an adult, I've come to realize that just because a person is forced to leave a country that they love due to circumstance or oppression; it doesn't mean they abandon the love they have for their country or their people. My heritage and Poland's incredible history is what inspired me to write The Perfect Scandal. I always wanted to read a historical romance featuring a Polish heroine I could relate to. It is my hope you will love this story about as much as I loved writing it.Cheers and much love,Delilah Marvelle