The Wildcat Behind Glass

 

The Wildcat Behind Glass / Alki Zei
trans. from the Greek by Karen Emmerich
Amherst, MA: Restless Books, 2024, c1963.
240 p.

This is a classic children's book from Greece, but how relevant today. This is a fresh translation, and the story remains fresh and relatable. 

Melia and Myrto are sisters, growing up in 1930s Greece under a dictatorship. They share a secret language, they play with the other kids on their summer island even if they aren't quite the same class, they love their grandfather's stories of myths, and they also love their cousin Nikos. He is probably early 20s, and he is a favourite of all the children - he's charming, fun, and tells them stories, especially about the stuffed wildcat in the display case in Melia and Myrto's parlour. This wildcat gets around; having adventures, passing messages, and more -- and it becomes both a symbol and a player in the growing political upheaval. 

The story is balanced between youthful naivety and serious politics. The girls play, go to school and do things suited to their ages but they also see things; neighbours, adults, even their cousin Nikos, behaving in unusual ways that they don't quite understand - they are almost there but still too young to be fully aware. But they aren't wide eyed and ridiculous narrators either; the story is pitched just right. 

It's a timely read, with intimations of how people adjust their behaviours early on to be discreet, not to stand out -- and how others jump right into resistance. Not only that, it is a touching story of these two girls and their awakening to reality, and their loving relationships with their cousin, mother, housekeeper, and friends. I enjoyed this - great characters and setting, and a look at a political moment that is clearly still relevant.