Solze so za luzerje
(Tears Are for Losers) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
The novel’s protagonist Ajda is just a regular run-of-the-mill primary school girl. One day, however, her life is turned upside down. She, her mother and her little brother have to leave their home and everything she loves in just one night. They lodge in a women’s refuge and have to deal with their issues individually. Ajda does not find it easy to accept her leaving home and the refuge rules, she misses her friends and to top it all off, she starts to get bullied at school by a classmate and her entourage. But the protagonist refuses to yield. She rises up and finds allies among other classmates. (source: publisher)
Edited by: Mestna knjižnica Ljubljana
Comment:
This is a touching story about domestic violence that readers of both older and younger generations will find engaging, perhaps even conducive to discussion on violence both in the family and outside it. The plot is set between the four walls containing a seemingly well-off and “normal” family in which the father, who is an alcoholic, is the one perpetrating the violence. This goes on until Ajda’s mother, the main victim, finally decides to end the relationship and seek protection from him by moving to a women’s shelter with their two children. Starting life anew is not easy, but it is necessary. As if domestic violence wasn’t enough, Ajda begins to experience bullying in school, which the board refuses to acknowledge and take responsibility for. The novel is primarily a story about standing up for oneself, about brave individuals, mother and daughter, but also about other women who find themselves in the shelter with them. The two are helped by the shelter volunteers and a handful of upright classmates of Ajda’s. Ajda will not be repeating any toxic patterns once she herself grows up because she has seen her mother break free of them. Above all, it is a story about women’s courage, their struggle for survival and a violence-free life worthy of human beings. It is most certainly not them who are the “losers” but rather those who commit violence. The message one can identify in the novel is that even the most hopeless situation can be resolved with courage and a steadfast character, which is exemplified by the women narrators such as the protagonist in the shelter but also the individuals who help her and her mother. An afterword titled Are Tears Really for Losers? by an expert, clinical psychologist and family therapist Majda Mramor is added to the book in order to facilitate understanding both the plot and the problems as well as to invite conversation concerning the topic. The book is targeted at the age range 14+, but it is also suitable for younger readers who are capable of critical independent reading.