Caravans in the Dark

Description: In 1938, when the Nazis invade Czechoslovakia, a young Romani girl, Jana, discovers that everything she knows and loves is in danger. In this maelstrom of history, she and two new friends, Otto and Franz, must fight for their countries, their futures, and their lives.

Brief description: B. K. Oldre is a former librarian with a BA in English literature and an MLIS degree. She studied writing at the University of Minnesota and The Loft Literary Center, where she completed the year-long class The Novel Writing Project, taught by best-selling author Peter Geye. She writes short stories, historical fiction, and historical mysteries. She and her husband live in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Review Quotes: "Overall, this historical novel has a compelling premise, tackling an underrepresented story of the Second World War. . . . Oldre's impressive research shines in the descriptions of Romani life and traditions."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Caravans in the Dark is everything historical fiction ought to be. At once fascinating in its period detail, epic in scope, and impossibly rich, it not only brings the past to resplendent light but also illuminates the foibles of our contemporary moment. On top of all this, it's a novel fairly bursting with characters to fall in love with. What an accomplishment from a writer who can seemingly do it all."
--Peter Geye, author of The Ski Jumpers

"By creating an unlikely heroine, B. K. Oldre captures the centuries-old persecution and suffering of the Romani people that culminated in Porajmos, the genocide committed against the Roma during WWII. Jana encapsulates crucial elements of the recurring prejudice against the Roma, and at the same time illuminates a reality in which Roma cease to be nonhuman."
--Habiba Hadziavdic, author of Antigypsyism and Film

"Deeply researched and tenderly rendered, B. K. Oldre's Caravans in the Dark captures a not-often-told World War II story--that of the persecution of the Romani people in Czechoslovakia. Readers of historical fiction and those interested in WWII stories will find much to admire."
--Linda Kiss, author of Tasa's Song and A Ritchie Boy