Have you ever been to Prague? It's beautiful, isn't it? This book takes us to one picturesque and beautiful, but not so quiet Prague. But let's start with Paris first.
Laure is the owner and curator of the Museum of Broken Promises. An one of its kind museum, where people can donate objects that have their own stories to tell. Stories that are either disappointing nor not going according to the plans. At the museum, these objects are exhibited along with their stories for a limited period of time.
'Giving an object to this museum is a way of dealing with something that's gone wrong in your life'
At the begging, I was fascinated by the idea for a museum of Broken Promises. No matter how odd it sounds. Why? Because:
'Which one of us has not experienced a broken promise in our lives? Either we made it and broke it. Or, someone made one to us and failed to keep it. The consequence can be funny, tragic, fleeting or life-long. However small, however large, these broken promises matter.'
In the museum is exhibited a piece of Laure past as well. A broken promise of her own. This promise takes us to Prague, her early 20ties and her past.
Prague in 1985 is not a pleasant place to live. Ruled by the communism, if you're not part of the party - you are against the party. That's mean that you are been watched and observed. Every rebellion and act of protest put you behind bars or you end up been raped and beaten up. Back then Laure worked as au pair for Kobes in Paris. Until Petr Kobes had to return to his country communist Czechoslovakia because of his work and ask Laure to come with them to take care of the children. This decision of hers changed her life forever. There she meets the love of his life - Tomas. He is a young musician, considered to be dissident, he has opposite views of how the country should be ruled and clearly against the communist party. Some of his actions against the government lead to Laure's broken promise.
I got a bit distracted in the middle of the book. There, we meet Laure in her early 30ties, living in Berlin and working as England cultural attache. This part of her life is told by Petr Kobes's point of view. Her boss back then in Czechoslovakia and the person who betrayed her and her beloved Tomas to the Communists. The whole Berlin part is very strange and it fills like it is misplaced. It didn't go well with me and that made me slow down my reading and put the book aside for a couple of days.
I didn't know much about this period in our history. I'm too young, but my parents lived through it and they said that it had good sides and bad sides. I can't imagine not to be able to say what I think or to read what I wish to. For me, this is enough to make this regime horrible. The author did a good job in depicting the situation in the country under the Communist regime. It's vivid and the atmosphere this book brings is stunning. It takes you right there in a couple of sentences period.
" 'It must be so awful' she said without thinking. 'To not be able to read what you wish.' "
What about you? Do you own a precious little object that you keep on the bottom of your jewelry box of the bottom of your drawer, or under the bed, maybe, as a reminder of someone's broken promise? I do.
Laure is the owner and curator of the Museum of Broken Promises. An one of its kind museum, where people can donate objects that have their own stories to tell. Stories that are either disappointing nor not going according to the plans. At the museum, these objects are exhibited along with their stories for a limited period of time.
'Giving an object to this museum is a way of dealing with something that's gone wrong in your life'
At the begging, I was fascinated by the idea for a museum of Broken Promises. No matter how odd it sounds. Why? Because:
'Which one of us has not experienced a broken promise in our lives? Either we made it and broke it. Or, someone made one to us and failed to keep it. The consequence can be funny, tragic, fleeting or life-long. However small, however large, these broken promises matter.'
In the museum is exhibited a piece of Laure past as well. A broken promise of her own. This promise takes us to Prague, her early 20ties and her past.
Prague in 1985 is not a pleasant place to live. Ruled by the communism, if you're not part of the party - you are against the party. That's mean that you are been watched and observed. Every rebellion and act of protest put you behind bars or you end up been raped and beaten up. Back then Laure worked as au pair for Kobes in Paris. Until Petr Kobes had to return to his country communist Czechoslovakia because of his work and ask Laure to come with them to take care of the children. This decision of hers changed her life forever. There she meets the love of his life - Tomas. He is a young musician, considered to be dissident, he has opposite views of how the country should be ruled and clearly against the communist party. Some of his actions against the government lead to Laure's broken promise.
I got a bit distracted in the middle of the book. There, we meet Laure in her early 30ties, living in Berlin and working as England cultural attache. This part of her life is told by Petr Kobes's point of view. Her boss back then in Czechoslovakia and the person who betrayed her and her beloved Tomas to the Communists. The whole Berlin part is very strange and it fills like it is misplaced. It didn't go well with me and that made me slow down my reading and put the book aside for a couple of days.
I didn't know much about this period in our history. I'm too young, but my parents lived through it and they said that it had good sides and bad sides. I can't imagine not to be able to say what I think or to read what I wish to. For me, this is enough to make this regime horrible. The author did a good job in depicting the situation in the country under the Communist regime. It's vivid and the atmosphere this book brings is stunning. It takes you right there in a couple of sentences period.
" 'It must be so awful' she said without thinking. 'To not be able to read what you wish.' "
What about you? Do you own a precious little object that you keep on the bottom of your jewelry box of the bottom of your drawer, or under the bed, maybe, as a reminder of someone's broken promise? I do.