An autobiographical novel, in which Kadare re-imagines his mother - "the Doll"- entering the vast family home in Gjirokastra as a new bride ("this house is eating me up!) Through scenes with others, we glean something of his mother's personality; moments of pride and independence gradually quashed in a glacial home:
"After the first defeats of the Doll's army, as I liked to think of her resources in this battle - flowers, music, gypsies and all the rest - she called upon her secret weapon, her last hope: the superiority that came from her wealth. But this too was defeated."
And as her son becomes a successful writer, moving in realms far beyond the comprehension of his mother, we see her frantic efforts to keep a part of him, as he moves on, choosing his own wife and leaving her behind. (This bit so resonated, as a mother of adult sons "yeah, Mum, whatever!" with a smile and roll of the eyes.)
The family move to an apartment in Tirana. I was struck by a description of a journey to fetch the furniture:
"At the Kelcyra Gorge, the copper baklava tray fell out. As I dozed, I heard it clang as it fell into the ravine...In my groggy state, it seems as if I thought that old tray, so loyal to the house, did not want to enter service outside it, and had decided it was better to hurl itself into an abyss than be used in this way."
This won't, I think, leave the lasting impression of Kadare's novels - Broken April and The Traitor's Niche are pretty powerful reads- yet conveys a sense of a family and a place and time. ( )