Smaragdové město – Bubíková Šárka (2006)

In Šárka Bubíková's debut, there lies a surprisingly deep insight into the developmental crisis of the main character, whose literary story, thanks to the careful capture of environmental details and the nuances of diverse characters, transforms into a compelling allegory of the fate of many who, shortly after the November Revolution, ventured to the United States to experience life behind the recently collapsed Iron Curtain. For Jitka Konečná, much like for many of her Czechoslovak peers, America becomes, for a time, a kind of mythical promised land, the gradually revealed secrets of which ultimately point to something much deeper and more significant than merely getting acquainted with a completely different society and culture, namely the secrets of her own, until then neglected inner self. The captivating story of a romantic and spiritual awakening is dominated by sensitively portrayed characters representing practically all social strata of contemporary America, and an important layer of the novel's construction, The Emerald City, also consists of impressive depictions of natural scenery and, not least, interestingly presented symbolism of photography...