The last refuge

When the present clashes with the dark past of the Czech resistance. A novel about loss, secrets and the search for hope.

Karel Horák survives a terrorist attack on the Brussels metro. His loved ones, however, are not so lucky. Broken and lost in darkness, he leaves the city where his world has collapsed and returns to his homeland – the Křivoklát region.

To cope with his trauma, he begins to uncover the unclear fate of his ancestor in a landscape interwoven with memories and shadows of the Second World War. His ancestor was a resistance fighter who fled from the Gestapo in a world where any day could be his last. Alongside searching for his grandfather's fate, Karel, a former mountaineer, gets involved in the risky work of maintaining high-voltage pylons. While spending time in the countryside, he finds a new strength to live. And in a nearby village with its own resistance history, he also finds Sára – a married woman with a shadow of her own. But by then, he is beginning to suspect that not everyone is supportive of his investigative efforts…

Martin Kuška's new book connects the contemporary story of a man on the edge with a powerful storyline from the Protectorate era. It authentically portrays the harsh life of resistance fighters in the Křivoklát region and reminds readers of their deeds, which have often been unjustly forgotten. The melancholy of an Indian summer and a journey through deep forests in search of the truth – all this combines to create a raw, deeply human story about immense determination, tolerance, courage and the struggle to find hope when all might seem lost.

Martin Kuška (*1988), originally a mechanical engineer, is now a freelancer. He dedicates himself fully to writing, produces electronic music, takes photographs and wanders the countryside. He sets his literary work in his native Křivoklát region, using its remote places for relaxation. His novels are characterised by their accuracy in historical contexts, depiction of a raw atmosphere and detailed description of locations. This makes it easy to follow in the footsteps of the stories in his books.