Graditelj svratišta

The novel follows Jakov, a builder and visionary, who attempts to build an inn in the 18th-century Dalmatian hinterland – a gathering place and refuge for travelers and locals. His undertaking is not only a physical, but also a symbolic act: building the inn represents an effort to create order and meaning in a chaotic world marked by Venetian rule, social inequalities and conflicts between tradition and modernization. Jakov faces resistance from local powerful people, bureaucracy and his own internal dilemmas as he tries to make his dream come true. Through Jakov’s life, Aralica depicts the complex relationships between the individual and the community, exploring how personal ambitions and ideals often encounter obstacles in the form of social norms, corruption and political intrigue. The inn becomes a metaphor for the search for a better world and the preservation of humanity in difficult times.