An epic novel of twentieth-century Balkan life, from the decline of the Ottoman Empire through the bloodshed of the Bosnian War

This grand, engrossing novel encompasses nearly all of Yugoslavia's tumultuous twentieth century, from the decline of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires through two world wars, the rise and fall of communism, the breakup of the nation, and the terrors of Bosnia's ethnic cleansing. Tackling universal themes on a human scale, master storyteller Miljenko Jergovic spins one Yugoslavian family's tale as the winds of history irresistibly cast the fates of five generations.

What is it to live a life whose circumstances are driven by history? Jergovic investigates the experiences of a compelling heroine, Regina Delavale, and her many family members and neighbors. Telling Regina's story in reverse chronology, the author proceeds from her final days in 2002 to her birth in 1905, encountering along the way such atrocities as the program of terror executed by Nazi Ustashe Croats and the ethnic cleansing of the Bosnian War. Lyrically written and unhesitatingly told, The Walnut Mansion may be read as an allegory of the tragedy of Yugoslavia's tormented twentieth century.

Croatian writer Miljenko Jergovic is the author of more than thirty novels, short story collections, and poetry volumes. He is a leading author in the region of former Yugoslavia and the recipient of numerous national and international awards. He lives in Zagreb, Croatia. Stephen M. Dickey is associate professor in the Slavic Languages and Literatures Department, University of Kansas. Janja Pavetic-Dickey, a native of Croatia, served as staff translator and interpreter at the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague.