Underground People

About the Book

“Underground people” is a love story and at the same time chronicle of the war and political events in Central Europe at the begining of the last decade of the 20th Century. The novel is dedicated to small common people who the author named “underground people”, herself telling a story from their perspective. In fact the novel was partly written in the shelter. However it did not affect her warm and funny style. The main character is Stela Vanek, a young lady lawyer. She is telling about the events in 1991 when a cruel war started in Croatia. The small and brave nation fights for its independence and freedom. She remembers her passionate love story with Marko from Osijek.  She learnt he joined the Croatian forces in Vukovar, city on the Eastern border. Vukovar was under siege for months. She recollected her memories. She met Marko on the Christmas of 1989 and they fell in love. Both of them were very independent and stubborn persons. His mother stood between Stela and him trying to keep him engaged with the girl from his hometown. Stela found out about his relationship with another woman. They loved each other but they broke up. She started a relationship with another man who wanted to marry her. She hesitated. Somewhere deeply in herself she couldn’t forget Marko. Soon, the war started. There were battles all over Croatia. She kept her sense of humour with deep faith in the Victory of goodness and justice. But on the November ’91 enemy entered Vukovar. Civilians and soldiers are trapped in the town. She tried to find out what happened to Marko. He was imprisoned in a war camp in Serbia. After an exchange of prisoners, he got out and they met. He’s changed now. He wanted to join again the Croatian forces to defend his hometown. They realised that they didn’t stop loving each other, but he was torn between the lost love and a mission that became his obsession.

The novel was finished in 1992. The book was written originally in Croatian language and was translated into English by S.Kos. Her contribution and avaluable suggestions as well as encouragement were essential for the making of this book.

About the Author

The author was born in 1963. in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. In 1986 she graduated in Law at the University of Zagreb.During her study she occasionaly works as a journalist and writes short stories published mainly in women’s magazines. At the time when the war started in Croatia she began to write her first novel inspired by events surroanding her. Nine years later she decides to published it under the pseudonym of Sandra Horvatin.