Awards: 
Kasia Minasowicz’s original book, published simultaneously in Polish and German, is a metaphorical story about home and its loss, especially in the context of forced migration.
It consists of 23 sentences that gradually develop into the moving tale of a girl searching for closeness and safety in a world ravaged by war. The girl tries to build a new understanding of her reality, giving meaning to the objects that unexpectedly appear in her life. Minasowicz creates a clever narrative about adapting to a foreign space and trying to find one’s place in a new, often incomprehensible world.
The illustrations are as expressive as the literary layer. The subdued, sepia-toned images are almost ascetic, but still eye-catching, and details highlighted in red accentuate key moments of the story. This enchanting visual layer serves to deepen the emotional dimension of the story, subtly leading the reader through the various stages of the heroine’s experiences.
The story of the inhabitants of post-war Wrocław takes on a universal dimension here – it becomes a tale about loss, memory and rebuilding a sense of home. This is a touching and beautifully illustrated story about the power of imagination and the need to put down roots, which will move readers of all ages.
Katarzyna Humeniuk, translated by Kate Webster
