The first volume of this three-part autobiographical series begins in
1938 with the expulsion of the Kovacic family from their home of
Switzerland, eventually leading to their settlement in the father's home
country of Slovenia. Narrated by Kovacic as a ten-year-old boy, he
describes his family's journey with uncanny naiveté. Before leaving
their home, he imagines his father's home country as something beautiful
out of a fairytale, but as they make their way toward exile, he and his
family realize that any attempt to make a home in Slovenia will be in
vain. Confronted by misery, hunger, and hostility, the young boy refuses
to learn Slovenian and falls silent, his surroundings becoming a social,
cultural and mental abyss.
Kovačič meticulously, boldly, and sincerely portrays the objective,
everyday world; the style is clear and direct. Told from the point of
view of a child, one memory is interrupted by fragments and visions of
another. Some are innocent and tender, while others are miserable and
ruthless, resulting in a profound and heart-wrenching description of a
period torn apart by conflict, reflected in the author's powerful and
innovative command of language.
