From what the lotus blooms

An authentic story that connects generations and worlds

This book opens up the multi-layered story of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic - a story that has long been the property not only of outsiders, but primarily of those who live it themselves. The protagonist of the story is the chef and influencer Chili Ta, through whose personal experience the journalist of Deník N Magdalena Slezáková searches for untold shades of identity, roots and relationships formed between two cultures thousands of kilometres away.

By combining narratives, family memories and echoes of Vietnamese folk stories, a sensitive mosaic of love, understanding and the search for one's own voice was created. The book captures the dialogue between generations - the questions that children and parents often fail to say out loud to each other, and the efforts to bridge silent misunderstandings.

From What the Lotus Blossoms is not only an engaging read, but also a bridge between worlds: between Czech and Vietnamese culture, between past and present, between parents and children. Like the lotus growing out of murky water, this story tells of the power to overcome obstacles, find beauty in difficult paths, and blossom in understanding.

Illustrated by Thi Bao Quyen Phan Tran.

About the authors:

Chili Ta is a creator and lover of quality food. She was born in the north of Vietnam, and as a child she went with her mother to Pribram, where her father was already working. They were originally only supposed to stay for a few years; eventually found a new home in the Czech Republic and stayed forever. Chili combines humour and culinary craft in her projects. It has long been dedicated to spreading awareness about quality eating and the use of local ingredients.

Magdalena Slezáková was born into a journalistic family in Prague and spent her childhood sitting around newspaper offices, drawing on the back of press releases. Yet for years she was attracted to philology instead of journalism, but journalism eventually found her. She started at Lidové noviny, from where she moved to Czech Radio; eventually found a permanent home at the Daily N, where she has been covering her beloved East Asia since its inception.