We Were a Handful

A favorite work of Czech humor, We Were a Handful depicts the adventures of five boys from a small Czech town through the diary of Petr Bajza, the grocers son. Written by Karel Polek at the height of World War II before his deportation to Auschwitz in 1944, this book draws on the happier years of Poleks own childhood as inspiration. As we look upon the world through Petrs eyes, we, too, marvel at the incomprehensible world of grownups; join in fights between gangs of neighborhood kids; and laugh at the charming language of boys, a major source of the books humor. This translation at last offers English-language readers the opportunity to share in Petrs (and Poleks) childhood and reminds us that joy and laughter are possible even in the darkest times.