Sanjao sam snijeg

I Dreamed of Snow is an extremely intimate and emotional story about dealing with death, grief and memories. The main narrator observes the loss of his mother and later the silent suffering of his father, while simultaneously struggling with his own feelings of guilt, insecurity and the question of the meaning of life. In a series of images, from the funeral procession, remembering his mother's stories, her cheerfulness despite her illness, to scenes from his childhood, Ivana Šojat weaves a powerful, poetic and sincere narrative, not offering comfort through pathos, but by expressing what is experienced in facing the loss of a loved one and images of memories of moments spent together. Particularly impressive are the descriptions of intimacy in the house after the mother's departure, the father who is breaking down, the son who is searching for her voice in his dreams, small details (the smell of lotion, the sound of brandy, old photographs) that suddenly become the carriers of an entire life, while the boundary between the dialogue between life and death becomes thin, almost invisible. The novel closes the circle of grief, acceptance, and moving on with life, but without the illusion that the pain will disappear and the colors will fade, reminding us of how fragile family relationships can be, how difficult it is to cope with the burden of separation. In a time when emotions are often hidden and repressed, I Dreamed of Snow restores their dignity by opening a space for conversation.