In the colorful summer landscape of the Baltic seaside resort of Misdroy on the island of Wolin, a small Czech family experiences a joyful state of exception around the year 1899. Even the strict mother is bearable here, where the noble atmosphere of old Austria meets the rougher ambiance of the North. The social life of the Czech German-speaking Jews comes alive again, as does the second novel in this collection, "Almost an Honor Student," a reminiscence of Brod's school days and a bridge to the lost world of Prague in the Habsburg Monarchy. These two short novels are masterful snapshots of the times and represent some of the finest prose Brod has ever written.