“The Box Girl” has been warmly received by readers; one of them called it a pill for depression and fear. We present Mateusz’s personal reflection after reading the fairy tale.
“As is usually the case with your works, this time I also read “The Box Girl” in one sitting. Surely every reader will be able to identify with the heroine in some way. That is precisely what your immense talent is all about! You create universal stories with incredible communicative power and a certain kind of motivation and acceptance of one’s weaknesses.
Both “The Hunchback” and “The Box Girl” are a kind of literary pill for depression and fear for me. Whenever one of my weaknesses catches up with me, the perfect remedy is to read a fairy tale written by you.
While reading, I had mixed feelings. At first, I felt sorry for the girl. A moment later, she began to irritate me! Then I was moved by her fate. And finally, I felt incredible joy.
That is exactly how it is in each of our lives! Our problems and fears stir many extreme emotions in us! We withdraw into ourselves, building a barrier meant to protect us from evil, yet it is so tight that even love cannot reach us through it! And life without love rather has no meaning. When we do not love ourselves, we lose the will to live, which forces us to give up. After reading your book, I know how important it is to look our fears in the eye! That is the only way we can overcome them. Even though we may feel comfortable with them, they still limit us.”
The fairy tale also impressed Katarzyna Żbikowska, author of the book “Mind Maps in Business,” a certified project manager and projectmanagerka.pl, a place for women who design their lives and businesses consciously and imaginatively. For those who are endlessly curious about the world and do not look for ready-made solutions because they are open to growth through action. She wrote about “The Box Girl”:
“I like the title. Seemingly ironic and banal, but then I discover that it is not funny at all. I like the length of the story. It is not boring, it keeps you in suspense, and it makes questions appear in my head with every sentence.
I like the ending. It is not obvious—in fact, it is very surprising. And so comforting for me. I feel deeply how many Women I have recently met, even just through the Kreatorka project, are such Box Girls. At times I feel that way myself, although it is not visible from the outside.”