The Light of a Foreign Land

Set against the impressive backdrops of Valencia and Lisbon, the novel Světlo ciziny (The Light of a Foreign Land) unfolds a charming and profound story in which Stanislav Struhar masterfully builds upon his previous successful work. With a subtly lyrical language, he writes about happiness and loss, family ties and separation, and with extraordinary empathy explores the fates of people from the most diverse nationalities and cultures in today's society. This captivating novel, which has also gained attention beyond Austria, is presented here to the Czech reader in a sensitive translation by Ingeborg Fialová-Fürstová.

When Oskar loses his job in Vienna, he goes to see his father, who moved to Valencia some time ago. Oskar has been suffering from his parents' separation for years; even as a child, he was a quiet loner. Just when it seems he has found his happiness, he has to leave Valencia. He arrives in Lisbon, and although he is captivated by the city's beauty, a new beginning just doesn't seem to work out. But it isn't long before a new chapter of his life, full of unexpected experiences, opens up before his eyes.