In Helen Oyeyemi’s vibrant new novel, Prague emerges as a character with a will of its own—welcoming and capricious by turns.
Driven by a curiosity she can’t resist, Hero Tojosoa accepts an invitation she almost turned down, finding herself swept into a bachelorette weekend orchestrated by her estranged friend Sofie in the enchanting city of Prague. Yet Prague is no ordinary backdrop; it possesses a knack for confounding expectations. A mysterious book Hero brings along seems to rewrite itself, unveiling fresh tales of imaginary Praguers across time and circumstance. Unexpected companions materialise during their festivities and amidst Prague’s iconic landmarks, offering wit, deceit, and unexpected revelations. When a third woman from their past suddenly reappears, long-held tensions among the friends ignite, each with their own version of history.
A kaleidoscopic journey, Parasol Against the Axe explores the blurred boundaries between reality and perception, truth and imagination. It poses profound questions about how much our stories shape us, and how much we shape the stories we tell. In the clash between friendship and truth, which role is more powerful: the protective parasol or the cutting axe?
“A shape-shifting novel about the power of stories…Helen Oyeyemi is a literary pied piper — her voice is the kind that readers gamely follow into the most bewildering and unnerving of situations.” – The New York Times
“A metatextual masterpiece.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Oyeyemi writes here as an heir to Calvino or Borges…A dizzying, dazzling romp.” —Kirkus Reviews
The prize-winning, bestselling author of Peaces and Gingerbread returns with a novel about competitive friendship, the elastic boundaries of storytelling, and the meddling influence of a city called Prague.
