Swimming in the Dark: A Poetic Literary Debut about First Love and Political Divides

Set in early 1980s Poland during the violent decline of Communism, Swimming in the Dark follows Ludwik, a university student who meets Janusz at a summer agricultural camp. What begins as a chance encounter by the river develops into an intense, all-consuming affair. The two spend weeks together in the countryside, bonding over a copy of James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room, and fall deeply in love in a world removed from society's constraints. In their repressive Communist and Catholic society, their passion remains a dangerous secret. When they return to Warsaw, their lives diverge sharply. Janusz rises through the political ranks and secures a government position, while Ludwik is drawn toward acts of protest against rising food prices and economic inequality. Their secret love, combined with their opposing political paths, gradually tears them apart as both struggle to survive in a collapsing regime. The novel moves from the intensity of first love to the quiet sadness of growing apart, blending historical romance, postwar politics, and coming-of-age narrative. Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR and a Dua Lipa Book Club pick, it explores freedom and love through lyrical, sensual prose.