A book examining themes such as the national identity, emancipation of women, tramping history and literary tradition with remarkable ease.

Children’s and Young Adult

Nestling in the book’s title are the names of the two characters. The first of them, Benjamin Wohryzek, returns from the US to Prague with his father under the pretext of looking for potter’s clay on the banks of the Vltava River. They are assisted by Laura Nožičková, an extremely curious and charming journalist who keeps a witty reporter’s notebook. Behind the scenes of the First Czechoslovak Republic, there is a funny and linguistically varied story in which three important writers associated with Prague appear in unusual guises: Jaroslav Hašek, Karel Čapek and Franz Kafka. In the end, it all turns into a more complex narrative concerning espionage back in the times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and all sorts of things emerge from the old expatriate community in America. Jan Trakal’s angular drawings and sketches enhance the entire story for readers of all ages.

Age 6+

 

Read an excerpt from the book here.

Marek Toman (1967) is a graduate of Charles University’s Faculty of Arts, he has worked as a literary editor for Czech Radio and since 1997 at the Czech Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition to his own creative work, he is also a translator and editor. His first book for children was O Ryzce a Vraníkovi (Ryzka and Vraník, 2003). His subsequent novels turned to the past: Dobytí ostrova Saaremaa (The Conquest of Saaremaa Island, 2007) described the Crusaders’ conquest of the Baltics, while Můj Golem (My Golem, 2009) was loosely based on the story of Rabbi Loew. His prose for adults also deals with historical material and how it influences the present; for example, in the books Veliká novina o hrozném mordu Šimona Abelese (The Shocking Story of the Murder of Shimon Abeles, 2014) and Chvála oportunismu (In Praise of Opportunism, 2016).