Daddy's Burning

A novel about how politics is always personal — and sometimes deadly

A man has set fire to himself in front of the Chamber of Deputies. The reason for the act is unclear; it may have something to do with a challenge set by a populist extremist. Lada is a successful writer – and the daughter of the man who self-immolated in protest. She is grieving, angry, searching for her father’s motives. On top of this, she has been struggling to come up with good ideas, and her publisher is demanding a book. The inevitable happens: the family investigation feeds into a manuscript. And Lada’s life turns into a hell as she is forced to confront populists, a divided society and her own complicated relationship with her father.

"In her new novel, Viktorie Hanišová sticks with the theme of a family tragedy. This time, however, it is not the focus of the work, but her point of view: this tragedy is both personal and political. The author has entered the realm of social fiction – with more than impressive results."
— Zdeněk Staszek, editor