Caravans in the Dark

“‘Caravans in the Dark’ is everything historical fiction ought to be. At once fascinating in its period detail, epic in scope, and impossibly rich, it not only brings the past to resplendent light, but also illuminates the foibles of our contemporary moment. On top of all this, it’s a novel fairly bursting with characters to fall in love with. What an accomplishment from a writer who can seemingly do it all.” —Peter Geye, author of “The Ski Jumpers”

“By creating an unlikely heroine B.K. Oldre captures the centuries-old persecution and suffering of the Romani people that culminated in Porajmos, the genocide committed against the Roma during WWII. Jana encapsulates crucial elements of the recurring prejudice against the Roma, and at the same time illuminates a reality in which Roma cease to be nonhuman.” —Habiba Hadziavdic, author of “Antigypsims and Film”

“B.K. Oldre’s ‘Caravans in the Dark’ captures a not-often-told World War II story—that of the persecution of the Romani people in Czechoslovakia. Deeply researched and tenderly rendered, the novel paints a portrait of a Romani family leaving their nomadic life to settle in Prague ahead of the Nazi invasion. Through its fifteen-year-old heroine, Jana, we confront her coming of age struggles and desires, set against the day-to-day darkness of war and the small acts of grace. Readers of historical fiction and those interested in WWII stories will find much to admire.” —Linda Kass, author of “Tasa’s Song” and “A Ritchie Boy”