A lampa ještě hořela – Tajovská Iva (2022)

The narrator of Ivy Tajovská's new novel, Oldřiška, guides us through the period from the beginning of the 20th century until the summer of 1972, when the demolition of the famous Pardubice hotel Veselka symbolically concluded her life story. Due to her difficult family circumstances and her unrequited love, she spent her youth and adulthood in solitude and seclusion; this heightened her sensitivity to the fates of others. The beginning of the 20th century was promising; the era favored art, science, technology, and progress. First, through Oldřiška's storytelling, we can follow the story of Jan Kašpar, who in 1910 became the first Czech to fly in a heavier-than-air machine. Equally interesting are the fates of the men from Oldřiška's extended family, who had to enlist in the Austrian army four years later. The novel provides insight into their different approaches to homeland and family, as well as the motivations that influenced their decisions. Many of those who remained loyal to their oath to the emperor were no less brave than those who demonstrated their heroism in the legions in Russia. Twenty years later, Nazi atrocities claimed more victims among Oldřiška's close friends and acquaintances. This reminded her of times of uncertainty and waiting, ushering in a period that required those involved to demonstrate new courage and selflessness...