Knihy Jakubovy – Tokarczuková Olga (2016)

The magnum opus of the world-renowned Polish author. The year is 1752. Podolí, part of the Polish Kingdom, an area located in present-day western Ukraine, inhabited by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Polish society was plagued by a rift between the ruling royal court, the rural nobility, and landless peasants, whose power began to manifest fully in the eighteenth century. Thanks to flourishing trade with the Muslim world, there was a rich cultural exchange. However, a gradual economic and moral decline was stealthily permeating all levels of society, which was trying to find a scapegoat. Meanwhile, the Jews were waiting for their opportunity for emancipation. A significant part of the story also takes place in the Jewish city of Brünn, that is, Brno, but also in other Central European cities, offering readers a peculiar parallel with the current dramatic clash with other cultures. Through Olga Tokarczuk's captivating narrative, we gain an irresistible feeling that this clash has been present in this part of the world since time immemorial. The novel is a portrait of ancient Poland, a powerful and influential kingdom at the height of its statehood, but also on the brink of falling into the fateful abyss of neighboring powers' interests.