A half-ruined Baroque convent right on the Polish border, in one of the most remote corners of the Czech Republic. From 1950 to 1989, the socialist regime interned members of women’s religious orders from across the republic there, while their home convents were dissolved. At times, up to 400 nuns lived there simultaneously in this so-called “waiting room for heaven.” Despised by socialist society, the nuns were forced to perform hard labor under the most adverse conditions, often spied on by supposed helpers. The goal was the eradication of Christianity in the country. Nevertheless, instead of yielding to the pressure, the women defended their faith even more resolutely. They drew closer together as a community in spirit and managed to uphold the principle of charity even in the midst of the greatest hardship and under the worst reprisals.
“Bílá voda” is not only the story of a purge unprecedented in the socialist states, but also that of the fictional young nun Evarista, who is ordained as a Catholic priest and practices as such until the Pope excommunicates her after the Velvet Revolution. The story is told in the present from the perspective of journalist Lena Lagnerová, who, due to mental health issues, seeks refuge at a secluded sanctuary for fallen women and gradually brings the stories of the past to light. Author Kateřina Tučková spent ten years conducting research in archives and reviewing countless original documents, some of which have been incorporated into the novel verbatim.
“Bílá voda” is a novel about the unprecedented oppression of members of religious orders during the socialist era—even within the former Eastern Bloc. At the same time, the novel addresses the role of women in the Catholic Church, making it a highly topical work.
For this book, Kateřina Tučková was awarded the State Prize for Literature of the Czech Republic. This translation is an excerpt from the novel, which has not yet been published in German.
Kateřina Tučková, born in Brno in 1980, is one of the most popular and best-selling authors in the Czech Republic.
She is a prose writer, playwright, journalist, art historian with a Ph.D., and exhibition curator. She studied Czech language and literature and art history at Masaryk University in Brno. In her novels, she tells fictional stories inspired by meticulously researched, real-life facts. She has received the Josef Škvorecký Prize, the Prize for Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights from the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, as well as the Magnesia Litera and Czech Bestseller awards. Her books have been translated into twenty languages.
The author will present the book in conversation with host Šárka Atzenbeck. Translator Martina Lisa will interpret and read excerpts in German.
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