Olga's Secret
By Aneta Marovich
Aneta Marovich began her journey as a writer in Yugoslavia but then switched countries and languages. After migrating to Australia and completing her studies, she worked in education and continued to write during breaks. Her memoir ’Chestnut Street, A Childhood in Tito’s Yugoslavia’ was published in 2014.
Olga’s Secret is a fictional work based on the author’s experiences of migration and life in the new country while maintaining strong ties to her country of birth which imploded so tragically in the 1991-95 Balkans war.
'Olga's Secret is a powerful novel, spanning decades and continents and encompassing the most pressing human themes - home, belonging, migration, war, love and friendship - with deep insight and enormous heart. With resonances of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels, Olga's Secret will draw you in with its warmth, humour, empathy and wisdom.' - Emily Bitto
From the cobble stoned streets of Zagreb, Yugoslavia to sun-bleached Adelaide, Australia, Olga’s Secret is a novel about love and friendship tested by separation and war. Is there a time in life when it’s too late to leave your country forever? Anya returns to her homeland after her new life in Australia ended in heartbreak.
Back in her homeland she renews her friendship with Olga and rekindles her past love with Filip. But both relationships are marred by secrets and the country she came back to will self-destruct in a war.
Returning once again at the war’s end, Anya finds her home country in ruins. Her closest attachments, like the country, are in danger of being destroyed when her best friend reveals a disturbing secret. Juxtaposing landscapes and cultures to evoke the nature of displacement and belonging, this is a story of love in all its forms involving the three protagonists.
Written with sensitivity and compassion Olga’s Secret explores life’s universal questions: What is the nature of friendship and love? Is there a limit to their endurance?
Additional Information:
Not yet published - 165 pages - Rights: World