Grandmother

“Grandmother” by Božena Nemcová (1820–1862) is the most famous and frequently 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 tale is very simple: Grandma Madlenka leaves her village and comes to her daughter's home to help her with the household and take care of the grandchildren. The children immediately love their kind grandmother, who knows many amazing stories, proverbs, and superstitions and even personally met Emperor Joseph himself! They happily listen to her tales of the past, participate in all the celebrations, and learn wisdom and patience from Grandma. The popularity of the tale “Grandmother” in the Czech Republic is hard to overestimate (its characters are even printed on banknotes), but it is also well-known beyond the country's borders — the tale has been translated into 20 languages and adapted into film several times. In this edition, the text is presented in a new translation with illustrations by the wonderful Czech artist Adolf Kašpar (1877–1934).