More sea

Cover: Hardcover Translation: Kamiran Hoj Genre: Swiss Literature Number of pages: 440 pages Publisher: Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority The novel won the Swiss Literature Award In this book, Rakoza recalls her childhood, and through her memories, she depicts the post-World War II period in Central Europe divided into East and West, where she spent her childhood moving between Budapest, Ljubljana, Trieste, and Zurich. In the Swiss snow and frost, the girl suffers with her refugee parents — she is the daughter of a Hungarian and a Slovenian — after their dreams in Northeast Europe collapsed, as they migrated many times and moved from one residence to another. They also faced Western skepticism and condescension, but gradually the girl adapts to the new reality, or rather forces herself to adapt, without forgetting her roots and origins, which she longs for — the warmth of the weather, the intimacy of social relationships, and the vast sea. The book is a sea full of colors, images, sounds, and languages that the author has been accustomed to listening to since childhood without fully understanding, because she perceives them through their tone, like the sounds of Arabic letters, which she finds beautiful despite their difficulty to pronounce. This enchanting experience in writing captivates the reader and invites reflection on their own life to discover the beauty within it despite all the challenges.