Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Two periods of Croatian history are interwoven in the stories of a sculptor and a student both seeking truths about their parents. Antun belongs to 1941, the time of the first Independent State of Croatia, and Dagmar, 1998, when a second attempt at independence was forged, following the Balkan War of 1992 - 1995. Set in Split, Zagreb and Hvar, the novel explores how a country like Croatia could implode into such violence; how history is still a living (and unspent) force for many and how might it be possible to trace out a future when so much has been broken and destroyed. Can a country torn apart by civil war ever know peace? Was the price paid for independence really worth it? In 1941, artist Antun Fiskovic experiences a sea-change in his fortunes following the revelation of the identity of his real parents, just as occupying forces take over the government of his country. Fifty years later, a young woman called Dagmar Petric begins a search for answers to the suicide of her father, a disgraced journalist in Tito's Jugoslavia. Antun and Dagmar's stories come together in 1998, in a newly independent Croatia. But what happens when the dead come to life? This is the question that haunts both protagonists, a question that is only answered when Antun breaks his silence over the bitter legacy of a wartime killing by Branko Ostojic, a childhood friend and partizani hero, as the sculptor prepares for his retrospective.
Synopsis
In 1941, artist Antun Fiskovic experiences a change in his fortunes following the dramatic revelation of the identity of his parents, just as occupying forces take over the government of his country. Fifty years later, a young woman, Dagmar Petric, tries to solve the mystery surrounding her father's death. Antun and Dagmar's stories come together in 1998, three years after civil war has torn apart the former Yugoslavia. This novel weaves public and private history through the catalyst of family secrets unearthed, the fallout of war, and the journey to personal and national reconciliation. "Simpson mirrors the histories of her characters with the rage and despair of their war-ravaged country... Her deft handling and authority creates a satisfying and compelling tale."--Publishers Weekly.