Grandmother

“Grandmother” by Božena Němcová (1820–1862) is the most famous and most often published book in the Czech Republic. By the end of the 19th century, it had become a symbol of Czech culture. The plot of the novella is very simple: Grandmother Madlena leaves her village and comes to her daughter to help with the household and look after the grandchildren. The children immediately love the kind grandmother, who knows many amazing stories, takes in all kinds of folk beliefs and sayings—and even met the Emperor Joseph herself! They enjoy listening to her tales of the past, take part in every holiday, and learn from their grandmother wisdom and patience. The popularity of the novella “Grandmother” in the Czech Republic is hard to overestimate (even its characters are printed on banknotes), yet beyond the country it’s also well known—the novella has been translated into 20 languages and was filmed several times. In this edition, the text is presented in a new translation with illustrations by the excellent Czech artist Adolphe Kašpar (1877–1934).