A poetic tale of friendship, of saying goodbye and of finding a place where everything can be thought about in peace. When the grandmother returns from hospital, the whole family gathers at home. There is a tense atmosphere, the adults shouting nervously, someone shouting at someone, someone crying, dogs barking. Amidst all the chaos, the two children try to find a place where they can think quietly. It is not easy - it is too cold on the balcony, they are chased out of the bathroom - finally they find a hiding place in a tent made from their grandmother's shawl. At last they can think in peace, together. About boats and jugglers, about their grandmother and pots, about life and death, about everything important that adults are unwilling or unable to talk to them about. When Grandma passes away a few days later, they know exactly what they have to do....<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Review:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n ,'Grandma's Veil' is not a simple book with a light plot. Both the textual and visual layers indicate a strong and emotional message throughout. The two main characters of ,,Grandma's Veil\" are cousin Biliam and his cousin, who also acts as the narrator of the whole story. The children's grandmother has just returned from hospital and, in connection with her arrival, the whole family turns up to see her. The cousins are trying to find a place for themselves in all the confusion. They don't really understand what's going on. On the one hand, people are crying, but their parents assure them it's out of happiness. On the other hand, they are old enough to know that it is out of happiness that people laugh, not sadness. Finally, they come up with the idea of making a hiding place out of a scarf. Grandma guards the entrance to it and they have time to talk to each other. She is the one who seems to understand her grandchildren the most. She is understanding and gives the impression that she knows exactly what the children are thinking about. They spend time together talking about important and unimportant topics, and when Grandma dies a few days later, the children offer her a<\/em> their best pebbles. Books that deal with this type of subject are never easy to read, but ,,Grandma's Veil\" is written from a child's perspective. It operates on concepts that are familiar to the youngest and does not get hooked on metaphysical quandaries. Children see Christmas as it is. They mostly perceive it 1:1, which means that it is very difficult for them to understand when someone is there and suddenly disappears irrevocably. At such moments it is very important to talk. Don't underestimate children and think they are too young to notice things. The characters' need to think comes precisely from their ability to observe their surroundings. They knew that this was no ordinary family gathering and it was only by talking to their grandmother that they were able to find answers to their questions, or at least to some of them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n