These newly collected short stories reveal a master at the top of his game. Drago Jancar possesses an acute understanding of the human psyche, enabling his stories to resonate beyond their particular milieu. This collection features seven pieces, drawn from four different collections, that together present the struggle of individuals against powerful forces. The characters try to make sense of a world of shifting borders and changing names that make the idea of a "homeland"--either literal or figurative--a dream rather than a reality.

DRAGO JANCAR is the author of Mocking Desire and Northern Lights. In 2007, he was awarded the Jean Amery Award, conferred by the Office of the Austrian President, for his contributions to the Central European canon.

ANDREW WACHTEL is dean of the Graduate school at Northwestern University and editor of Writings from an Unbound Europe.