Panna – Toman Marek (2022)

Is it possible to be a woman and behave completely independently? And can one have a romantic relationship fully under control? The main character of the novel, Miss Ema Dolejšová, has been trying to achieve something like this for decades. Her unusual story takes place in Příbram during a time of spiritual struggle. The communists fundamentally change the social profile of the city during uranium mining while grappling with the reputation of Svatá Hora – a pilgrimage site with a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary. The once deeply religious miners of the ore mines are replaced by a person of the new age, the uranium miner. The spirituality of this significant cult comes into conflict with brutal ideological materialism. Moreover, Ema carries an intimate trauma within her that she must overcome. Marek Toman built his novel, set between 1938 and 1991, on detailed study of sources, sensitivity to local legends, and conversations with witnesses. However, his novel is fiction and is based on urban legend. The end of the war and the arrival of the Vlasovites, post-war nationalization, the construction of a new Příbram by political prisoners, and local revolt against the Soviet occupation are events against which Ema Dolejšová tries to secure her place. As a prominent female figure, she confronts a world predominantly dominated by men. And she discovers what price is...