Czech Voices: Stories from Texas in the Amerikan Narodni Kalendar by Clinton Machann (Editor), James W. Mendl (Editor)

From the Publisher

Although the personal stories told here began in Europe, all ten recount a history of Texas as seen by one of the state's largest immigrant ethnic groups. The narratives, originally printed in the midwestern Czechlanguage journal Amerikan narodni kalendar, tell the story of the immigrants as they arrived in the mid-nineteenth century and provide a picture of this culture that goes beyond the kolache pastries and polka dancing popularly associated with Czech Americans.

Among the writers are important leaders, adventurers, journalists, and typical farmers. Their impressions of the immigrants' hard daily lives, religious conflicts, the American Civil War, and their own identity bring to life an era that other sources rarely reveal.

Clinton Machann and James W. Mendl, Jr., who have selected and translated these stories, provide an interpretive introduction, informative notes, and a bibliography that help to place the life stories in their historical and cultural context. Before Czech Voices' hardcover release in 1991, these narratives had never before been generally available. The importance of and pleasure in reading primary sources like these was apparent in the book's initial reception.

Booknews

Ten narratives reveal the experience of early Czech immigrants who founded several communities in Texas during the 1850s. The pieces were first printed in a midwestern Czech-language journal and are presented here in translation with an interpretive introduction, notes, and a bibliography. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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