By Charlotte Mendelson<\/p>\n
Pan Macmillan, Soft Cover, 384 pages,<\/p>\n
www.panmacmillan.com<\/p>\n
Marina comes from a family of Hungarians.<\/p>\n
She lives in a tiny flat in Westminster Court with her Hungarian grandmother and great aunts, as well as her mother.<\/p>\n
This arrangement was necessitated after her father left her mother Laura, who was unable to financially support herself and her daughter.<\/p>\n
This upbringing also created a cultural climate of quirky and outdated attitudes that were ingrained in Marina.<\/p>\n
In her attempt to break away from the fold, she leaves her over-protected nest to venture to a prep school where she must live amongst the affluent, consisting mainly of boys.<\/p>\n
Marina must find her way through her many insecurities and lack of social etiquette in order to be able to stand on her own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"