What was real life like in the socialist, post-war Yugoslavia? While fondly depicting the characters and their relationships within the family, the author is constantly aware of the social and the period significance and brings them up from the background for a picture of reality in real time.

    Childhoods, in retrospect often sentimen- talized, were just endured, while lived through. It takes a life-time of experiences and introspection to see that crucial time of our development in a mellower light, with an added value within.  

    The memoir reveals that space and period, otherwise filled with fear and demons for US audience by the capitalist propaganda. In the tapestry of the narrative the author simultaneously works on the characters in the foreground, while referring to the relevant social context in the background. It’s a world of different values and ideals, superimposed on people’s basic instincts and striving–from selfish individu-alism toward an ideal of a better society and a greater good. Of course, like Christian, the socialist doctrine to be successfully carried out in a society, required individual “aware- ness“ of the common goal. But, like in Christianity, those who preached did not lead by example and the lofty principles crumbled under the weight of basic human nature.