Review: Kafka's House...........
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 15, 2011
Kafka's House was a good book, well-written and interesting.  While the subject matter is serious in tone, there are burst of humor throughout the book as well as sadness.  The author shows us what life was like in Romania in the mid-60s, both before and after Russia invades and communism takes over.  The protagonist in this book is Silvia, a bright 10-year old who shares her life and house with her mother, father, and 3-year old sister.  We see how they live in a tiny house where the children's beds are in the kitchen.  We learn about Silvia's hopes and dreams, her friends and school.  Her family is poor but there is love in their household.  There's even a bully that Silvia has to deal with.  Almost every day, Silvia has to go to a neighbor's house to purchase something her mother uses for cooking, and she learns a lot from the neighbor's sister, Ana, who longs to go to Prague.  I thought the book read more like a slice of someone's biography than fiction, which made it more compelling.