[ book tip by Slavica Savli ] In her short stories, Maruša Krese depicts the unease and angst that personal and societal changes have brought into her life. Her fragmentary texts centre on the childhood confusion caused by the political directives of the Communist Party and those of the Catholic Church: Should she go to a party meeting or to midnight mass? Is she supposed to wait for Jack Frost or Santa Claus? Even as a little girl, she transcends the barriers erected by adults with her curiosity and openness. By doing so, she not only, for example, finds out what smells so good behind her neighbour’s door, but also sees to it that potitze [a rolled yeast cake stuffed with nuts or a variety of others fillings] and cinnamon cake are baked at her house. Somewhere between different customs and conflicting views on a seemingly safe and familiar life, the author develops a critical distance from everything she sees and experiences in Ljubljana and, later, in London, Iowa, New York, Berlin, Sarajevo, and the Valley of the Kings. She is unable to fit into the accepted patterns and is self-critical. These attributes are bound up with the desire to be a perfect mother. The high standards by which she lives often lead observers to make superficial generalizations, assuming that she does not really care about others and is irresponsible when it comes to looking after herself and those closest to her. The narrator exists first and foremost for her children, then for refugees from Sarajevo who find shelter in her apartment; she also stands by those affected by political unrest in Nepal, Taiwan, or Columbia...

These fragments of family life are marked by the childlike symbolism that has determined the paths taken by the narrator. Using Christmas celebrations as an example, the author reveals the predicament of an independent woman hemmed in by social norms and questions about whether she has made the right decisions. Condemning global clichés, she illuminates the female principle with acute sensitivity, dry humour and cynicism. It is a principle that involves being infinitely open to others, accepting, forgiving, and understanding, as well as navigating the maelstroms that threaten to engulf women.

[ book info ] Krese, Maruša : Vsi moji božiči. Fotografije - Meta Krese. Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana, 2006 . ISBN: 8611175670.