“This book had me feeling emotions I’ve never felt before. Tender and so gorgeously written, this is the story of two sisters split apart by war, told primarily through the eyes of their grandchildren Mala Liska and Ludek. While one side of the family remained in Prague after Czechia was absorbed by the Eastern bloc, the other departed for London (and eventually Melbourne). In touching scenes switching back and forth both geographically and temporally, this book explores the difficult experiences inherent in both being left behind, and in making an escape. Yet, for all of their differences through the years, the thread that ties their experiences together is their enduring love for each other. I’m not crying, you’re crying!” – Lucy H

“There Was Still Love is freighted with a great many wonderful trademark Favel Parrett attributes: devotion, tenderness, emotion, soul, charm, and, yes, love. Perhaps its greatest attribute, as well as hers, is grace. A pared back focus that cuts through to the essential, and elevates this story to a whole new level. It's a contemplation of all that life and love is; a quiet and masterly benediction.” – John

“There Was Still Love is a deceptively simple and unbelievably tender novel about a Czech family in the 1980s still living with the consequences and trauma of WWII. Luděk lives with his grandmother in Prague, and they are glad for their home and what little they have but long to be with the rest of their family. Malá Liška lives in Melbourne with her grandparents, and they are glad for their freedom and for the life that have built for themselves in a foreign land but long for their home, their lost culture, and the family they left behind. The two children are related, but have never met. Their stories, as they observe and live alongside their grandparents’ grief and anger and joy, are threaded through with flashes from other times and other people. Each chapter is brief, each sentence is exquisite. There isn’t a propulsive plot – it doesn’t need one. The drama of the war ended long ago, but its effects are deeply felt on every page. This novel is, in short, a marvel.” – Kate

“How can a book be tender, humorous, lyrical, sad, beautiful and lonely wrapped into one beat? This carefully considered and moving book holds the answer. Sisters separated as children reunite as grandmothers; one left behind in Prague, the stronger moved to Melbourne. The best of friends, holding despair under their breath they watch freedom in their grandchildren who tell this moving tale of migration and displacement. I read this in one breath as it was too captivating to break the subtle magic created. This homage to Parrett’s grandparents will break your heart.” - Dean