We Were a Handful

The famous Czech humorous novel about the adventures of five boys from a small Czech town is written in the form of a children's diary of a merchant's son Petr Bajza. In the midst of the Second World War, during the most difficult period of his life - before his transport to Auschwitz in 1944 - the Czech writer Karel Poláček (1892-1944) recalls his happy youth through a child narrator. The reader discovers a world seen through the eyes of children, experiencing their everyday adventures and clashes with the incomprehensible world of adults and their struggles with neighbouring children's groups. The charming boyish language is a particularly rewarding source of humor. After more than 60 years, even English-speaking readers can become familiar with Poláček's novel. The book is accompanied by original colour illustrations by Jiří Grus.