Zoli

What a daring idea...trace the life of a Roma poetess from early life under fascist rule in the dying democracy of Czechoslovakia to dying years in the utterly different but equally repressive "Free World" that doesn't like her unrepentant socialism...in her own voice.

McCann's up to the task. It's a very well-built book, and Zoli (a boy's name in her culture, given by her grandfather to help protect her) is a fully realized person. She lives an exciting life. She writes amazing poetry (so we're told). She has a daughter who, true to life, turns out to be very little like her amazing mummy.

My kick is that, like most extraordinary women, she falls in love with the damnedest collection of creeps and yutzes imaginable. There's this one Brit show more who is just about the most Babbitty little snot imaginable. Her response to him when they meet up later in life is pretty amusing.

But, and here's the kick part, why is she bothering with these guys? Why is it no one writes about these women with actual worthy partners? Blech.

Recommended. Enthusiastically. Read now. show less

I had no idea what this book was about, but I needed a book that started with Z for my 2023 A-Z reading challenge, and I knew Colum McCann's work from Let the Great World Spin.
Zoli is a beautifully written book that traces the life and loves of a Romani woman, based loosely on Polish poet Papusza (1910 - 1987). Drawing from archival and authoritative sources (e.g. the Romani Archives and Documentation Center at UT Austin), McCann offers a narrative that bears witness to the history of the Romani people in how they were outcasts and exploited in the name of "advocacy". Zoli herself is a wonderful multi-dimensional character who must navigate and choose identities for her own survival. We see her as a child, raised by her grandfather, a show more young poet/songwriter--exploited and caught in political contexts out of her control, an exile and refugee both, and as an aging mother still determined to express her own agency. show less

A beautiful and harrowing novel by one of my favorite contemporary American authors. It traces the life of a female gypsy poet from the horrors of World War II, to the stultifying world of Communist Eastern Europe, to a dramatic escape to the West. We see so much of European history through the lens of this incredibly articulate, sensitive soul, all told with McCann's densely descriptive narrative intensity. For a taste of the prose, here's the opening sentence: "He drives along the small streambed, and the terrible shitscape looms up by increments--upturned buckets by the bend in the river, a broken baby carriage in the weeds, a petrol drum leaking out a dry tongue of rust, the carcass of a fridge in the brambles." It's been a while show more since I've read the book, but I still see that "tongue of rust" in my imagination, along with so much else in this brilliant book. show less

This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely be seeking more of his writing.
This was also interesting to read after Far to Go by Alison Pick as they are both set inCzechoslovakia during WWII. There the similarity ends.
McCann's writing creates vivid pictures of the Romani life during this period and the persecution these people suffered under fascist regimes. It is a poignant and fascinating tale beautifully expressed.
The story is mainly narrated by Zoli, a gypsy singer and poetess, as she is encouraged to express the plight of her people through word and song, by a group of well-meaning intellectuals. But her people believe this is a betrayal of their cultural beliefs which causes the cessation of thei show more nomadic lifestyle and she is castout. We follow Zoli from chilhood to present day and the beauty of McCann's writing enables us to feel her pain.
Highly recommended. show less

Couldn't put this one down. Fascinating story of the Roma [gypsies] encapsulated through the story of a Roma woman, Zoli, with a gift for song and poetry. The story is very loosely based on that of Papusza, a famous Roma singer and poet.

The story begins in 1930s Czechoslovakia where Zoli's family are drowned by the fascists' driving them onto ice, which then breaks beneath their weight.
Zoli and her grandfather escape and find refuge with another kumpanija--musicians all.
The horrible WWII years pass, then under the repressive Czech government, Zoli decides to flee to the West--Paris, she has in her mind. She is ostracized by her tribe. Most of the novel tells of her journey and contending with gadzhe [non-Gypsy] prejudice.

The show more author's writing style was crisp, incisive, with deep sympathy for the Roma and their plight. The novel was an easy way to learn something of Roma culture.

From a poem of Zoli's:

"They drove our wagons onto the ice
And ringed the white lake with fires,
So when the ice began to crack
The cheers went up from the Hlinkas,
We forced our horses forward
But they skidded, bloody, to the shore.

My land, we are your children,
Shore up the ice and make it freeze!
....
The snow fell large and white
And buried our wheels center deep" show less

I would give this book 4-1/2 stars. As always, Colum McCann's prose is gorgeous, the sense of place is palpable, and the story is unique and interesting. I just felt that the main character, Zoli, felt a little two-dimensional, and I don't think Mr. McCann captured the female perspective very well. Zoli thinks and acts more like a man in this story, IMO. The story is purportedly based loosely on the live of a Romani poet Papusza, and it set against the backdrop of World War II and the subsequent communist takeover of eastern Europe. Zoli is at once a tale of the cultural and literal diaspora of a people who reject western "progress," a love story, a tale of betrayal, and a story that resonates in our ever-fractioning Western society.

I was surprised at how easy to read this book was. It dealt with an interesting topic, at an interesting time, but the epic nature of the novel and the potential to be dry was a red flag for me.

Not to worry. The writing was excellent, with full-bodied characters. I have heard of Gypsies all my life, but have never been introduced to their lifestyle, culture, traditions and past like McCann has done in this book. Zoli was a complex character, torn between two very different worlds. I felt her pain and struggle as she moved through the years. The book divisions were welcome at and appropriate times. Emotions were almost at a crescendo as one section stopped and another one started. While the action and chronology was fluid, each section show more allowed for a breath and a new start as I turned the page.

I highly recommend this book, and look forward to reading more works by Colum McCann. show less