Peter Kritfek's sweeping family saga, covering Slovakia's history from 1938 to the early 2000s, explores the way the pressure of history makes a decent but weak man harm the people around him, skilfully weaving into the narrative extracts from authentic period documents ranging from advertisements to poetry and diaries.
The Equestrienne is a poetic, caustic coming-of-age novel about the desire of one young girl to realise her dreams before and after Velvet Revolution; it is a celebration of friendship between women and also a bitter acknowledgement that greed and the desire for power candestroy any relationship.