I am quite fond of London. There is not a lot of fiction about the Polish community in the UK, and it was refreshing to read a story about them. This is an offbeat and good-humoured look at the life of Mikolaj and Gosia as they struggle to make ends meet. Despite working long hours for little money and being far from home, Mikolaj grows to enjoy his life in London. There is an affecting conversation between Mikolaj and Gosia discussing when they are going to go home, with Mikolaj musing that he misses being in Poland when he is in London but misses London when he is in Poland. The themes of homesickness, racism, and poverty are all explored with an unsentimental eye. It is a character-driven slice of life drama. The non-linear structure might grate on some.

The black and white art has a contemporary feel to it. There are many gags in London and the sense of timing in their delivery in perfect. However, the panel layouts are occasionally too dense for my taste. Overall, Trejnis does an exemplary job of making the story feel authentic and delivers the story well.

There is no soft coating the difficulty of the lives that Mikolaj and Gosia live in London, making the climax of the book all the more touching. London is a properly entertaining and distinctive story about immigrant life.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.