Raising Girls in Bohemia: Meditations of an American Father: A Memoir in Essays

Katrovas discusses his experiences as the eldest son of a conman; as a graduate student, professor, and unplanned husband in New Orleans; as the father of three Czech-American daughters; and as a parental partner, who together with his ex-wife shuttles their daughters between two continents and cultures. Katrovas has had anything but an ordinary life. As one of five kids, he was alternately raised in a stolen car traversing the US, or in the welfare-fed projects of Norfolk, Virginia. It was this gift, and at times, this curse, of an upbringing in unusual circumstances, that he gave his daughters.

Katrovas’ memoir in essays is so neatly woven, that the occasional jumps in time embrace rather than lose the reader, and also contribute to the feel of a natural and evolving conversation. Likewise, his decision to intermix terms that could be found on a SAT or ACT test with common slang aptly portray atypical situations in such a way that they seem simultaneously familiar and foreign. As for the essay topics, his irregular ventures into politics fall flat, but his personal reflections are superb. Readers will root for Katrovas’ efforts to ensure his daughters feel native to both of their parents’ home countries.