An energizing story about navigating the disparities between expectation and reality.
Across the globe, many lands boast incredible wealth, tremendous growth, and opportunities for diverse communities. Alongside these golden prospects, though, exist places with little chance for people to escape rampant poverty, injustice, oppression, and stagnation. Not one to be held back by limiting circumstances, Maggie Zurowska addresses this uneven reality and takes destiny into her own hands. Her plan? To trade hardships for happiness in the United States. Maggie’s tumultuous emigration story begins in her home country of Poland in 2002 when she receives an invitation to join an international Au Pair exchange. Appealing to her wanderlust and sense of adventure, Maggie signs up for the program and ships off to what some consider a modern promised land, America. Hoping to realize her own American Dream, she envisions a path to success that harnesses her determination, education, and interpersonal skills. But life in a new country comes with unique challenges, and Maggie encounters more than her share. From mastering a new language to managing cultural differences, financial strains, homesickness, and discrimination, there are seemingly endless bumps in the road. Though not a stress-free journey, this resilient woman finds satisfaction in a life much different from what she dreamed of more than twenty years ago.
An energizing story about navigating the disparities between expectation and reality, Behind My American Dream is an odyssey of trials and triumphs. For those who have only ever lived in America, it feels like a true adventure seeing the country through the eyes of an immigrant. Readers will get to know a relatable woman who tackles obstacles in the best way she knows how. Babysitting was never a long-term plan, and each job change teaches Maggie valuable lessons about herself as her goals take new forms. This remarkable adaptability will strike a familiar chord with those who have faced a similar crossroads, pivoting away from their preferred field of study or career to make ends meet. With refreshing candor, audiences will feel like they’ve walked a mile in the shoes of a frustrated intern, a frazzled housekeeper, and an overworked server who teeters between satisfying the soul and satisfying bill collectors. Though many of her employment choices don’t mesh well with Maggie’s active nature and free-spirited personality, the behind-the-scenes peeks read like a guided tour of catering gigs, frozen food manufacturing facilities, and college campuses. It might not be what Maggie Zurowska had in mind when she boarded a plane for New York, but Behind My American Dream is a story of hope, hard work, flexibility, and following your passions wherever they may be found.
