A sweeping, tragic romance and feminist adventure about translator and resistance fighter Milena Jesenskás torrid love affair with Franz Kafka.
In 1919, Milena Jesenská, a clever and spirited twenty-three-year-old, is trapped in an unhappy marriage to literary critic Ernst Pollak. Since Pollak is unable to support the pair in Viennas post-war economy, Jesenská must supplement their income by working as a translator. Having previously met her compatriot Franz Kafka in the literary salons of Prague, she writes to him to ask for permission to translate his story The Stoker from German to Czech, becoming Kafkas first translator. The letter launches an intense and increasingly passionate correspondence. Jesenská is captivated by Kafkas energy, intensity, and burning ambition to write. Kafka is fascinated by Jesenskás wit, rebellious spirit, and intelligence.
Jesenská and Kafka meet twice for lovers trysts, but can such an intense connection endure beyond a fleeting affair? In her remarkable debut novel, Christine Estima weaves little-known facts and fiction into a rich tapestry, powerfully portraying the struggles of a woman forced to choose between the roles of wife, lover, and intellectual.
