Stéblo na hladině řeky - Nejistá jistota – Kameš Vladimír (2019)

The lives of people resemble the drifting of a blade of grass on the surface of a river. The river flows slowly, without disruptive gusts of wind, without undulating waves; the blade of grass gently moves along the shape of the current into an unknown future. Natural and physical laws support the gentle and undisturbed movement of the blade and keep both the surface of the river and the shape of the blade in the certainty of existence. A breeze, wind, rain, and storms contribute to the change of tranquility on the river's surface – the blade trembles and only with difficulty (and not always) overcomes the rippling of the river's surface. It resists, struggles against being submerged, and holds on with all its strength above the water. It does not always succeed. The certainty of the calm river surface is lost in the uncertainty of fateful ripples caused by life's vicissitudes. The fates of people are similar. Carried by historical events, people do not always programmatically and successfully attempt to resist the breeze and wind, rain, and storms. The book tells the story of the lives of several friends who grow up and live in a small town in northern Moravia. The plot unfolds from the 1930s to the 1990s. Their academic, work, and political engagement or disengagement brings them both advantages and downfalls. Their community also includes a well-known figure who experienced Terezín as a child. In romantic relationships and in life...