Novacek’s Book Wins Memoir Book of the Year Honorable Mention
June 28, 2013 ― Foreword Reviews’ 15th annual BOOK OF THE YEAR award winners were announced at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago. We are proud to say that Border Crossings: Coming of Age in the Czech Resistance by Charles Novacek has won BOTYA 2012 “HONORABLE MENTION” for Autobiography and Memoir.
With 1,300 entries from more than 600 publishers, 248 winners were selected in 62 categories. Two books were also named Editor’s Choice Prize winners, an honor that comes with a $1,500 cash prize.
Foreword Reviews’ annual BOOK OF THE YEAR awards are judged by a select group of librarians and booksellers from around the country. The winners exemplify the best work coming from today’s independent, university, and small press communities.
This is one of the premier awards for books from small publishers.
Novacek’s book is an account describing the impact of World War II and the Cold War on a Czechoslovakian boy, Karel (Charles) Novacek. Novacek actively participated with his family in the Czech Resistance against the Nazis and the Communists from the age of 11 to 20. After escaping his homeland in 1948, Novacek fled to Germany, then Venezuela and finally immigrated with his wife and children to the United States in 1956, where he became an American citizen and established a successful civil engineering career in Detroit, Michigan.
Border Crossings was published in October 2012 by 1021 Press in Detroit, Michigan. It is available in hardcover, paperback, and digital formats for Kindle, Nook, iTunes and Kobo. It may be purchased online at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound and the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (also in museum gift shop); at Detroit area booksellers: Book Beat, Emerald, and Source Booksellers; and at the Czech Heritage Museum and Genealogy Center in Temple, Texas.
Sandra Novacek, the author’s widow, is available to speak to book clubs, libraries, and other organizations – in person, by phone or even Skype – to answer questions about BORDER CROSSINGS – the history behind the book and/or the publishing process, or anything else of interest about BC and its themes. She can bring photos and artifacts even Charles’ art work if you’re interested! There’s a Reading Group Guide for the book on the book blog. Contact Sandra for questions, to set up a time, etc.
For more information, visit https://www.charlesnovacekbooks.com and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BorderCrossingsComingOfAgeInTheCzechResistance or contact Sandra Novacek at novaceks@att.net.
Have you read BORDER CROSSINGS yet?
