While looking for Czech poetry to include here, I discovered something surprising & thought you’d enjoy it too.
You may have heard the Christmas carol, Good King Wenceslas. But did you know he was a real person from Bohemia (Bohemia being the largest historical region of the Czech lands) & he is also the patron saint of the Czech Republic?
As noted by Classic FM, a British Reverend wrote the lyrics to the carol in 1853 inspired by the life of Wenceslaus I (aka “Václav the Good”). Wenceslaus was the Duke of Bohemia revered for his kindness to the poor until his assassination by his brother in 935AD. He was canonized as a saint because of his martyr's death & several purported miracles that occurred afterwards. (He was promoted to King of Bohemia a few years after his death by the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I.)
The message of kindness & generosity about this Bohemian king makes for a beautiful carol/poem. May we all strive to emulate this Good King/Czech Saint’s example.
“Good King Wenceslas look’d out,
On the Feast of Stephen;
When the snow lay round about,
Deep, and crisp, and even:
Brightly shone the moon that night,
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gath’ring winter fuel.
“Hither page and stand by me,
If thou know’st it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?”
“Sire, he lives a good league hence.
Underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence,
By Saint Agnes’ fountain.”
“Bring me flesh, and bring me wine,
Bring me pine-logs hither:
Thou and I will see him dine,
When we bear them thither.”
Page and monarch forth they went,
Forth they went together;
Through the rude wind’s wild lament,
And the bitter weather.
“Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer.”
“Mark my footsteps, good my page;
Tread thou in them boldly;
Thou shalt find the winter’s rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.”
In his master’s steps he trod,
Where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor,
Shall yourselves find blessing.”
But what book are we reading next?
The book which won the vote is a NY Times Bestseller & a multi award-winner. The genre is also a first for us & will be accompanied by some additional media.
”I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side—the Communist side—of the Iron Curtain." Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sís shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer [a youth Marxist-Leninist organization in communist Czechoslovakia], stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was told to believe. But adolescence brought questions. Cracks began to appear in the Iron Curtain, and news from the West slowly filtered into the country. Sís learned about beat poetry, rock 'n' roll, blue jeans, and Coca-Cola. He let his hair grow long, secretly read banned books, and joined a rock band. Then came the Prague Spring of 1968, and for a teenager who wanted to see the world and meet the Beatles, this was a magical time. It was short-lived, however, brought to a sudden and brutal end by the Soviet-led invasion. But this brief flowering had provided a glimpse of new possibilities—creativity could be discouraged but not easily killed.
By joining memory and history, Sís takes us on his extraordinary journey: from infant with paintbrush in hand to young man borne aloft by the wings of his “glorious artwork” (Elle) which “makes for irresistible reading.” (Washington Post Book World)
“A masterpiece for readers young and old.” —Starred, Kirkus Reviews
“A powerful combination of graphic novel and picture book . . . Terrific design dramatizes the conflict between conformity and creative freedom.” —Starred, Booklist
“Sís, who has entranced children and adults with his magical stories and drawings, has taken his talent to a new level. Peter, born to dream and draw, is now also teaching the tragic history of his native land under communism in this beautiful, poignant, and important work for those of all ages. ” —Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Sec of State
(A special thank you to book club member, Sarah Jean for the book suggestion.)
View on Amazon | Bookshop.org | SecondSale used book
Note: Whether you read the book with a child or on your own, it’s a quick read so we’ll be adding on a 29-minute dramatic Czech film nominated for an Academy Award entitled “Most” aka “The Bridge”. (Free on YouTube with closed captions here.)
The 2003 trailer appears below:
