Summary

The novel begins with Jakub Procházka introducing himself. His parents wanted him to live a “simple life” (3), but communism did not let him. Jakub then describes the day of his space mission. He was in a shuttle called the JanHus1 in the Czech Republic, with a large crowd cheering for him. As he was launched into space, Jakub remembered his training. Psychological preparation was an important aspect of his training, so Jakub was assigned to a psychiatrist, Dr. Kuřák. However, Jakub never liked Dr. Kuřák, since he believed that Dr. Kuřák was only helping him for the sake of fame.

After describing his living conditions, Jakub reflects on his childhood. Jakub lived in a small, rural town called Středa. He describes his grandparents, who owned some animals for breeding and...