Liliana – Szafrańska Anna (2021)

Tattooing is not just decoration. Often, it is like an open book, recording the fateful moments of human life. Liliana is eighteen when she decides to start an independent, adult life. Against her parents' wishes, she leaves her childhood home and goes away with Matěj, a boy they refuse to accept. They are expecting a child together, and Liliana believes they will be a happy, loving family. The opposite is true – a sick child, her fiancé's addiction, and tendencies toward violent behavior destroy Liliana's dream. When one fateful night she escapes with her son in her arms from Matěj's friends, who want to rape her, she finds refuge with Malvína, a young woman for whom she has been secretly cleaning to earn some extra money. The girls, who appear absolutely different, find common ground. Thanks to Malvína, Liliana meets a talented tattoo artist named Matěj. Their meeting causes Liliana, like the butterfly tattooed on her back, to finally spread her wings. A gripping, emotionally charged novel about the fight for oneself and one's loved ones, about love and self-respect, about a family that is not always defined solely by blood ties, and about people who, despite the weight of their life destinies, can offer selfless help and support. Liliana is the first of the novels in the "Pink Tattoo" series. The stories of three women, Liliana, Malvína, and...