Velika ljubav: Roman iz života slovačkih Hrvata

The novel brings a warm and documentary nuanced picture of Croatian communities in Slovakia at the beginning of the 20th century. Through the arrival of two guests from Zagreb to Hrvatski Grob, a panorama of everyday life opens up: the church and cemetery as centers of memory, villages with Croatian surnames, teachers and pastors who are often not Croatian, and the longing for books in their own language.

At the center is the Grebić family and the love of Jura and Kristina, which matures through the trials of war, poverty and political upheaval. Opposite their happiness stands the figure of Pavl Čaplović, crazy Pavel, a man marked by great, unrequited love and difficult wanderings, including trips to America.

Through conversations with the mayor Turinić and the young Jožko, scenes of collective memory are revealed: stories about the migrations of ancestors, the constant feeling of Croatian belonging, the connection between Trnava and Zagreb, and respect for Andrej Hlinka as a symbol of the Slovak aspiration for freedom.

Andrić combines an intimate melody of love and loss with a chronicle of a community that, although "transplanted", puts down deep roots in the new country, without forgetting the old homeland. The style is unobtrusively lyrical, with a lot of dialogue and ethnographic details, and the final echoes (Hlinka's imprisonment and release, the death of loved ones) enhance the impression of a novel that connects heart and history. Ideal for readers looking for a historical-life novel about identity, togetherness and the constancy of love.