Never did I imagine that a memoir about a young girl growing up in a small town in communist Czechoslovakia could be uplifting and ‘laugh-out-loud’ funny – but this one was! It was also deeply thought-provoking, with some very sad and poignant moments, but the over-riding feeling that I had reading it was one of optimism and happiness.Written by Dominika Dery, the memoir was an examination of her childhood, and an exploration of why it was such a happy one despite what were ostensibly the most difficult of circumstances. Dominika’s parents were political dissidents against the communist regime, which meant that Dominika and her family were shunned by most people in their town. None of the neighbourhood children were allowed to play with Dominika, so she was ‘on the outer’ at school, at ballet and in her spare time. In addition, Dominika’s maternal grandparents were part of communism’s ‘old-guard’ in Czechoslovakia, and they had disowned Dominika’s mother and the whole family due to the differences in their political views. The family was constantly being spied on by informants, and were very poor, and since Dominika was constantly on a diet due to the pressure to be thin for ballet, her life seemed to be full of deprivation.The memoir is told through Dominika’s eyes beginning before she was even born, and she is a precocious, insightful and optimistic girl. I initially struggled with the authenticity of her voice and her story, given her extremely young age (the first four or five chapters are before she turns 4 years old) and the high level of detail in her recollections of conversations, body language and tones of voice. Maybe she has an amazing recollection of the early years of her life, or maybe she uses the memories of others and a bit of artistic licence, but regardless, it all helped to create a beautiful and vivid picture of her childhood.Contributing to the happy and positive mood of the book was the strong sense of optimism and the humour shown by Dominika’s father in particular, who refused to let circumstances get him down. The tight family unit and the loving relationships between Dominika and her mother and father also got them through many trials. There was a strong theme of escapism too – especially for Dominika but also others in the book – as a means to temporarily forget the difficult circumstances that they were living under: fairytales, traditions, religion, friendships with adults (especially the three ‘fairy godmothers’), Barry the dog (famous in Czechoslovakia for his TV appearances!), the ballet and of course, the delicious ‘little cakes’!Being a memoir, the book only gave the perspective of Dominika, and by the end of the book (which ended when Dominika was about 10 years old) I found myself longing to know more about Dominika’s mother and sister in particular, as well as what became of Dominika herself. I will have to wait for the sequel! I highly recommend this book – especially if life is getting you down – it may just be the tonic you need!
"The Twelve Little Cakes" is a delightful memoir that reads like a novel--complete with suspense and strong character development (especially Dominika's mother)--as every memoir should if it is well written. Even though Dominika Dery and her family go through trials the likes of which no first world family typically has to deal with, they work together to overcome the obstacles life throws at them, and they manage to have a little fun in the process. This book made me laugh, made me cry, and taught me a great deal about Czechoslovakia (on the outskirts of Prague) in the 1970s and 1980s under the governance of Communist Russia. Told from the perspective of Dominika from the time of her birth until she turns 10 years old, this story is charming and nostalgic, and she successfully transported this reader to her magical childhood world full to bursting with the richness of Czech culture and its ancient rituals. "The Twelve Little Cakes" also gave perspective, reminding us of the things that are most important in life--love, family, resourcefulness, and imagination--even in the face of disappointments, failures, and catastrophes. The book is cleverly organized into twelve episodes/chapters corresponding to the "twelve little cakes" of the book's title, and each one was a sweet treat I looked forward to at the end of the day. I highly recommend this book; it was a fun and fast read.
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I adored this book. Dominika has the spunk and spirit of an Eastern Block Scout. Since I lived in the Czech and Slovak Republics in 1993, I liked getting a very human peek into their histories. I liked the way she could point out the silliness of the Communist system but do so without bitterness. I laughed at her father's ability to rope Communist spies into doing his dirty work (working in mud in their backyard!) and was delighted by the old-style Christmas rituals she described (as well as her loss of innocence surrounding them!).I highly recommend this book to all!
—Lisa
This is a delightful book and a quick read. It was very interesting and funny. The resilience of the human spirit is shown through Dominika and her family. They seem to be happy through many trials that would make a lot of people depressed. Dominika's book made me laugh out loud in parts (the secret police participating in a landscaping project) and cry a little bit (thinking of Dominika's loneliness and the immaturity of her grandparents and her thinking she might be taken by the devil because of an innocent mistake). I guess I shouldn't have been surprised by the pressure she experienced to be thin to be able to do ballet.I loved this book and read it in a day (on vacation)... I couldn't put it down.
—Tanya W
I loved this book! Really easy read, really informative, well written, great! You almost inadvertently learn about Czech history while learning about a little girls daily life with her family. Even though they face great adversity, GREAT, it's amazing how they remain SO positive, especially the father of the family. The father reminds me of my husband Cameron, in that he finds solutions to seemingly impossible problems, using his intelligence, charm, and whatever he needs to!VERY charming story, only problem with it was that it felt like it ended in the middle of the story? No denouement or epilogue? But great! So sweet.
—Alyne
