A new novel inspired
by fall of Vukovar!

New novel by Croatian writer inspired by fall of Vukovar

A new novel by Croatian author Blanca Raguz follows a young  woman in her plight to discover her dreams despite the devastation of her city and life in the aftermath of the Croatian war for independence. Although a work of fiction, The Labyrinth is based and inspired by the Croatian war for independence and the fall of the town in 1991.

A brief summary of events in the Croatian War. Books on Croatia independences war. Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia on June 25, 1991. War in Bosnia. Five-year conflict in the former Yugoslavia.

Here the author answers questions about her first novel, what inspired her to write it and how she sees present-day Croatia.

Question: When did you come up with the idea for the book?
Blanca: I cannot depict any particular moment. There were rather many inspirational, wonderful moments when the various notions, colors and moods passed through my mind before they finally resulted in the idea of this book. At first, I used to take notes. Then, it all came together in the form of a final story.

Question: How long did it take you to write it and then publish the book?

Blanca: It took me about five years to write the book and publish it.

Question: How have American readers responded to the book compared to responses from Croatians?

Blanca: The response of the American readers has been extremely positive. Many people have told me that they appreciated reading about the life in the communist system and learning about the details of the war that they have not known before.

They found the parts about the siege of Vukovar to be shocking and heartbreaking. A majority of American readers have said that the book is a page-turner and that they could not put it off until the very end. Some of them said they cried while reading the story; others said they were sorry when the book was over and that there was nothing more to read. It brings me great joy to know that my work is so well understood and appreciated by other people, especially those of different backgrounds than my own. As far as the Croatian readers are concerned, I’ve had more than positive reactions of numerous readers. I could say that Croatians have had more emotional reactions to the book than Americans, probably because they are more connected to the events that took place in Vukovar. Most of Croatian readers have told me they cried when reading about the horrors of war and expressed their satisfaction that the tragedy of Vukovar was finally described in such a simple and truthful way that any person from any part of the world can easily understand. Many have thanked me for writing this book and creating a unique bridge between Croatian and American worlds.

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Question: Have you looked for a publisher in Croatia to translate the book and publish it there?

Blanca: I haven’t looked for a publisher in Croatia, yet. However, I am currently working on a Croatian translation of the book and I’m planning to publish it in Croatia in the near future.

Question: Although the book is fiction, through the eyes of its heroine we get first-hand accounts of the siege of Vukovar. What sources did you use for your research?

Blanca: As far as the sources of my research are concerned, I’ve mostly based them on talking to the people who lived through the siege of Vukovar. Among others, I have to mention my father’s relative Ante Raguz. His son Ivan Raguz was wounded and lying in Vukovar’s hospital when the Serbian army broke in. He was executed at Ovcara together with other wounded Croatians. Besides talking to the survivors, I’ve followed newspaper and television reports about the events in Vukovar. I even wrote my own diaries at the time. During the siege of Vukovar I used to listen to Sinisa Glavasevic every night. I would listen, tremble and cry, praying to God to save Vukovar and its people. Like so many Croatians, I could not think about anything else but our heroic town of Vukovar and those who were defending Croatia on the first and most difficult front-line. The day Vukovar fell was one of the most painful, heartbreaking moments in my entire life. For me it was a moment when the human dignity was completely erased from the face of this Earth. It was a moment of ultimate personal struggle when I questioned the meaning and purpose of our humanity. That’s when I learned the real depth of evil in the world and when I lost my faith in the innocence of humankind. Only because I despised the ways of evil so much, I managed to rebel against the hate and found enough strength to believe in good despite all.

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Question: The book’s heroine Martina chooses to return to Croatia. Do you think it is realistic to expect people to return and contribute to the development of the country after living abroad for years?

Blanca: I believe it is both, morally important and realistic to expect people to return to Croatia and contribute to our homeland after years of living abroad. It would be regressive and narrow-minded to exclude a huge number of Croatian people all around the Globe from the process of rebuilding and reshaping our homeland. We are all different in many ways and while some people might be skeptical about returning to Croatia, others are dreaming about that every day of their lives and trying to prepare the ground for such a significant move. This is what I would love to do when the right time comes. I know many Croatians, both young and old, who have returned to Croatia during and after the war in order to help. Certainly, there have been many hardships and disappointments along their way because their expectations have not always been met by realistic situations and possibilities. However; I am a positive person by nature. I am also an idealist. I don’t want to think about the obstacles, but on the contrary – about dreams and goals. Nothing valuable in life comes easy. At least, that’s how it is with me. I know many people who would like to come back to Croatia and help with their experience and knowledge of living abroad. Many of them are, unfortunately, finding numerous obstacles along the way, but we have to work on removing those and creating better conditions for Croatian emigrants to return and enrich Croatian society with their abundant personal knowledge. Therefore, I choose to think in a most positive way. I chose to have my heroine in the book return to Vukovar. It is the only natural conclusion of the events; the only way to close the circle of suffering and not allow the war to destroy the sacredness of one’s home. Otherwise, if we don’t believe that Croatia and Vukovar are worth returning to, what is the alternative? I know it is difficult and I don’t intend to preach anything to anyone, especially not to those who have already had enough courage to return to Vukovar. But if we, from the start, believe that our homeland is not a good place to return to, than what is our future as individuals and as a nation?

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Question: What is the main thing that you want a reader to take away from reading your book?

Blanca: The main thought I wanted to convey to the reader was the idea of love defeating the power of darkness. I exposed the horrific effects of evil in order to show its destructive and meaningless path. By depicting the evil, I wanted to emphasize the need for goodness and love. I am especially talking about the love for God, love for the homeland, love for the art of creation and love for all the people of the world. Only light can break the darkness. Only love can destroy the hate. It is the only way out of the war and destruction – to rebuild our homeland and our hearts, to learn how to forgive and love again.

Question: Are there any biographical elements in the book?

Blanca:There are no real biographical elements in the book. However, there are certain emotions I have felt, that I have built into the character of my heroine. In many ways her thoughts are reflections of my own; her emotions are extensions of things I have experienced. Yet, my heroine is a person in her own right. Her path is completely unique and belongs to her.

Question: When was the last time you were in Croatia? How much has the country changed since you were last here?

Blanca: I visited Croatia only a month ago. I went home for Christmas and New Year. Coming from abroad once or even two times every year, I’ve seen many changes over the past two decades. There is a clear sign of modernization and influence of the Western world in many spheres. Gone is a dull look of communism. For example, many towns have been reconstructed; many facades repainted in beautiful, lovely colors; new roads have been built; shopping centers and stores with huge parking lots have opened around the country; banking machines were placed on the streets and squares all over Croatia, etc. These are only a few of my observations and there are many, many more. Basically, Croatia has opened up to the world on so many levels in both, private and social sectors. If you come from the outside world you notice even the smallest details, while if you live here, you probably have a tendency not to see everything since it is part of your every day’s routine. Since I go to Croatia every year and spend lots of time with ordinary people, I can say that I am familiar with their lives and ways of coping with different problems. There are still many things that need to be done and many ways for us to grow as a society and as individuals. Yet, looking at the overall picture, I definitely think that Croatia has made a huge step forward from the time of war and extensive destruction. I wish my homeland all the best and hope it will do even better in the future that lies ahead.

Question: Can you tell us more about your upcoming book or future plans.

Blanca: My next book will be a love story. It deals with the paths of three special women at different times in history. It depicts their journey into the most intimate secrets of love which makes this life a fantastic experience for those who are blessed enough to feel it.

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