Velvet wormwood

The late 1980s. A time when power belongs to those in the right positions, and courage doesn't pay. Twenty-five-year-old Lada does a seemingly simple thing—she speaks up. When she hears a child crying through the wall of the neighbouring flat, she accuses her neighbour, a high-ranking official, of abuse. But in an era where the system protects the powerful, such bravery comes at a high price. Lada loses her job, her life as she knew it—and ultimately ends up behind bars. Parallel to this, the story follows the perspective of little Alenka, the seven-year-old daughter of the Kozderka family. A child who tries to be a model 'Spark' and a good daughter, but who sees more of the adult world than she should. And in Lada, she sees a princess. Two fates, two perspectives, one gripping finale. Jana Jánská has written a novel that hurts—and yet, it's impossible to look away.