Alena Mornštajnová (1963, Valašské Meziříčí) is currently the most read and translated author whose novels, the most famous of which are Hana , The Silent Years and Little Hotel , have sold more than half a million copies in the Czech Republic alone. She is the winner of several literary awards, among which the "Czech book" and "Databáze knih" for the book of the year stand out. The forest in the house is her latest novel that shook the reading public and opened up many questions.
You say I should be happy.
You say I have to learn that.
You say I deserve happiness.
Here, I'll tell you something about myself.
This is how the honest and harsh confession about the life of a nine-year-old girl who grows up with her mother, grandmother and grandfather in a country house surrounded by a forest begins. At first glance, the house looks like one from a fairy tale, but the smell of the forest has crept into every crevice, prevents even the sun's rays from entering it, and dominates their lives more and more every day.
"I wanted to write a novel about how difficult it is to distinguish truth from lies and to oppose evil. I wanted to show how certain choices, which seem simple to the observer, can be unclear and insurmountable. In the end, for my own sake, I wanted to explain why such things happen and why they are difficult to face."
Alena Mornštajnová