Czech’em Out Book Club meets on the third Monday of each month with NCSML volunteer Steve Pederson in the Skala Bartizal Library following the reading of each months selected book. You can purchase this month’s book from our museum store.
About this months book: A Summer in Spillville in 1893
In this novel by Barabara Ortwein, we follow composer Antonin Dvořák. He was already famous across Europe when he and his family relocated to New York City in 1892 from Prague. He took a position at the National Conservatory of Music of America. Only a year later in 1893, did homesickness for his Bohemian homeland lead to their family taking a trip to Spillville, Iowa. The small, rural town allowed for a retreat with fellow immigrants for the next several months. His time in what was the former “Wild West” at the time, allowed for diverse influences of American and Bohemian contributions. Dvořák’s journey echoes throughout his numerous musical compositions, with special inspiration directly from Spillville and the surrounding areas. Ortwein focuses on the intercultural exchange between Europe and North America that led to the blending of the cultures within music.
About the Author:
Barbara Ortwein was born in a village near Muenster in Westphalia, Germany. She held several careers as a school music teacher, playwright, historical fiction author, travel guide, and a leaders of German-American Program for several years. She has written several books focusing on various elements on immigration, and the cross-cultural benefits this brought to countries around the world.