Catherine the Great and the Small, Knežević, Olja

Catherine`s trajectory in life is accompanied by failures in love, family traumas and anincredible romance with handsome Siniša. The novel takes us through turbulent times in the Balkan region, from the eighties to the present day, portraying growing up in the twilight of communism, and giving intimate insights into all that happened to the region after that. Carefully crafted characters and masterful, dynamic storytelling place Catherine the Great and the Small in the company of the very best of novels, which speak about the reality of their geographic setting and are remembered for their convincing, strong, maladjusted characters. Catherine is certainly one of them: a powerful female voice seeking her place within her family, among friends and in the cities she lives in, while constructing her unique identity as a daughter, granddaughter, friend, mistress, wife and mother.