Lilian Nattel Knihy

In her stunning debut novel, Lilian Nattel brilliantly brings to life the richness of shtetl culture through the story of an imagined Blaszka, Poland. Myth meets history and characters come to life through the stories of women's lives and prayers, their secrets, and the intimate details of everyday life.When they were young, four friends were known as the vilda bayas, the wild creatures. But their adult lives have taken them in different directions, and they've grown apart. One woman, Misha, is now the local midwife. In a world where strict rules govern most activities, Misha, an unmarried, independent spirit becomes the wayward heart of Blaszka and the keeper of town secrets. But when Misha becomes pregnant and refuses to divulge the identity of her baby's father, hers becomes the biggest secret of all, and the village must decide how they will react to Misha's scandalous ways.Nattel's magical novel explores the tension between men and women, and celebrates the wordless and kinetic bond of friendship.

One sister runs away, while the other remains behind, leading to an unexpected twist when the dutiful sister must impersonate the rebel. In a gripping exploration of family loyalty, resentment, secrets, and grief, the narrative delves into the complexities of familial bonds. Joan has always been the responsible one, balancing her role as a palliative care doctor with caregiving for their widowed mother, Sheila. In contrast, her adventurous sister, Vivien, escaped their troubled childhood marked by an alcoholic father and a mother who frequently discarded their belongings. Vivien has built a life as a nurse in conflict zones, leaving Joan to shoulder the family's burdens. When Vivien learns of their mother’s serious illness, she reaches out to Joan from a remote village facing an Ebola outbreak. Fearing for her life, Vivien asks Joan to pose as her online so their mother can avoid the pain of losing a daughter. Though Joan hesitantly agrees, believing it won't come to that, tragedy strikes when Vivien dies. As Joan mourns, she begins to impersonate her sister online, finding the experience unexpectedly liberating. However, when she receives a message from a man claiming to be Vivien's adopted son, the boundaries between right and wrong, adventure and tragedy, begin to blur.

Polen, 1893: Der Alltag in dem kleinen Dorf Blaschka wird bestimmt von einem ungebrochenen jüdischen Glauben und dem Zusammenhalt untereinander. Selbst als die junge Mischa ein uneheliches Kind zur Welt bringt, gerät die kleine Welt nicht aus den Fugen

Tegen de achtergrond van het door Rusland bezette Polen aan het eind van de 19e eeuw wordt het leven in een kleine joodse gemeenschap beschreven.