Lidé lesních stínů - Dramatický příběh z křivoklátských lesů z dob, kdy ještě nebyly takové, jaké je známe dnes... – Kuška Martin (2022)

This Czech-language historical novel offers a dramatic glimpse into the rural Křivoklátsko region in the second half of the 19th century. It loosely follows parts of the author’s successful photobook about Křivoklátsko and draws on real conflicts between poachers and forest officials, the lives of charcoal burners, and the transformation of rural society before the great economic crisis of 1873. Its raw narrative pays tribute to forgotten times and crafts while largely following factual historical circumstances. The story leads readers into the forests around Karlova Ves, Broumy, Nový Jáchymov, Roztoky, Křivoklát and Skryje, to Týřov Castle and the rocky slopes above the Úpořské Valley. Some locations have remained almost unchanged, while others have disappeared in their former shape, but the story brings them back to life. In the newly established charcoal-burning settlement of Karlova Ves, František Kos arrives for work with his son Antonín and mother Alžběta after the death of his wife. František tries to rediscover the man he once was, wearing himself down through hard labour at charcoal kilns and ironworks, while Antonín must quickly decide who he is to become after his free-spirited student years in Rakovník. None of them suspects how the lives of strangers among oak groves, clearings and rocky slopes may collide and lead to a disaster no one could have imagined. Antonín must eventually choose whether to remain an unassuming boy or grow up, find determination and self-belief, and set out in search of justice.