In the Polish city of Gdansk, the narrator tells about the driving lessons he took in the early 1990s, shortly after the end of communism. As he struggled with the tiny Fiat's gearbox, causing chaos while stalled at a crossroads, Pawel entertained his instructor - the lovely Miss Ciwle - with stories of his grandparents and parents lives. Through these tender stories we hear of one family's obsession with classic cars - in particular Mercedes-Benz - the outings, the races, the crashes and the inevitable repairs. Based on fact and illustrated with personal photographs, these tales contrast the golden era of Poland's pre-war independence with the dismal communist years, and with the uncertain new chapter in the country's history that had only just begun when Pawel was learning to drive. With elegant brilliance, Huelle creates a touching portrait of three generations amid life-changing historical events.
Huelle`s book has been translated into English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, German, Hungarian and other languages.
Paweł Huelle (b. 10 September 1957 in Gdańsk, Poland) is a Polish prose writer. Huelle studied philology at Gdańsk University, and later became a journalist. He worked for a time for the press service of Solidarność (Solidarity). He has also taught literature, philosophy, and history. He was director of the Polish Television in his home town from 1994 to 1999. His literary debut came in 1987 with Weiser Dawidek, made into a film, Weiser, by Wojciech Marczewski in 2000.
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