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The
2003 Award
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No Saints or Angels by
Ivan
Klíma Nominated by:
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Publisher of Nominated Edition: Granta Books ISBN 1862074488 |
| the complete A-Z listing of nominated authors. |
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ABOUT
THE BOOK
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| Kristýna,
a dentist, lives in Prague with her unruly teenage daughter, Jana. Born
on one of the most momentous days of the last century, the day Stalin died,
Kristýna's life seems full of uncertainties. Stories of the death
of her grandmother and aunt; memories of her difficult relationship with
her late father, a member of the Communist Party's feared People's Militia;
and strange, threatening letters from an anonymous correspondent all serve
to compound her sense of unease. During the summer of 1998 she embarks on a relationship with Jan, a thirty-year-old former student of her ex-husband's. Jan's father, a scout-leader, was persecuted by the Communists during the 1950s; his son is now employed by the government to investigate the crimes of the post-war regime. However, not all are happy with his department's discoveries and they come under growing pressure from the government to disband. Meanwhile, Jana's increasingly erratic behaviour betrays her growing addiction to drugs and her mother is forced to take drastic action in at attempt to change the course of her life. Told in the voices of three generations, No Saints or Angels is a rich portrayal of life and love in contemporary Prague. |
| ABOUT THE AUTHOR |
| Ivan Klíma was born in 1931 in Prague, where he still lives, and was editor of the journal of the Czech Writers' Union during the Prague Spring. He is the author of many plays and novels including The Ultimate Intimacy, Waiting for the Dark, Waiting for the Light and Lovers for a Day. He is also the author of a collection of stories, My Golden Trades and a non-fiction book, The Spirit of Prague. |
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Find out more about the author on the following websites:
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