Letters to Kafka

by Christine Estima

A CBC Best Book of 2025.

A sweeping, tragic romance and feminist adventure about translator and resistance fighter Milena Jesenská’s torrid love affair with Franz Kafka.


In 1919, Milena Jesenská, a clever and spirited twenty-three-year-old, is trapped in an unhappy marriage to literary critic Ernst Pollak. Since Pollak is unable to support the pair in Vienna’s post-war economy, Jesenská must supplement their income by working as a translator. Having previously met her compatriot Franz Kafka in the literary salons of Prague, she writes to him to ask for permission to translate his story The Stoker from German to Czech, becoming Kafka’s first translator. The letter launches an intense and increasingly passionate correspondence. Jesenská is captivated by Kafka’s energy, intensity, and burning ambition to write. Kafka is fascinated by Jesenská’s wit, rebellious spirit, and intelligence.


Jesenská and Kafka meet twice for lovers’ trysts, but can such an intense connection endure beyond a fleeting affair? In her remarkable debut novel, Christine Estima weaves little-known facts and fiction into a rich tapestry, powerfully portraying the struggles of a woman forced to choose between the roles of wife, lover, and intellectual.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Canada, Womens, Historical

384 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 2025

About the author

Christine Estima is the author of THE SYRIAN LADIES BENEVOLENT SOCIETY (2023) and LETTERS TO KAFKA (2025). Her essays and short stories have appeared in the New York Times, Vice, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the Observer, the New York Daily News, Chatelaine, the Walrus, Refinery 29, Bitch, Maisonneuve, and elsewhere.

Her short story "Your Hands Are Blessed" was selected for the BEST CANADIAN STORIES 2023 anthology.

Follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/cestima

Reviews

[Cali · Rating 2 out of 5]

listen, this did wonders for the daydreams but in terms of actual writing... not my cup of tea OR whiskey. ghostwritten by a forever 21 clearance rack tee that scrolls tumblr at the beach because she's not like other girls. 2.5 stars.

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this interesting novel I had to do some research on Milena Jesenska because I had no idea who she was. In my findings. I discovered that she was a journalist in Czechoslovakia best known for exchanging passionate letters with Franz Kafka. She also was a resistance fighter during the second world war which eventually lead to her downfall. I will admit this ended up being a history lesson for me but overall I was enjoyed with my findings and with the story itself. I have read novels before of women working the resistance but they weren't instense as this one. I will keep this review short as I don't wish to reveal too much
The novel begina in 1919 with Milena being married to a man she literally depises. She takes on a job translating and from thers takes up correspondence with Franz Kafka. The two manage to meet up various times for lovers trysts but nothing ever develops more between them. Eventually she goes through life marrying several more times. At the start of the second world war she is doing everything in her power to make things better but like anyone who gets caught things don't go well as planned.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

[mer ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'd much rather be somebody's shot of whiskey then everybody's cup of tea."

I'm not usually into historical novels much but I was so intrigued by Milena and safe to say this did not disappoint, I adored her character and this book was addicting yet often so sad (especially the ending)

Also thanks to Christine for giving her talk at Eden mills + signing my copy it was a great experience :)

[Jenn]

DNF. This just isn't for me.

[Georgia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many thoughts. Few complimentary.

Firstly, if you are tempted to pick up this book because you're a lover of Kafka and his work and have read "Letters to Milena", don't do it. This book is not some kind of imagined response to those letters. Secondly, if you are tempted to pick up this book because you're intrigued by Milena, don't do it, it may make you dislike her.

Reading this book makes me a little mad tbh because I read and loved Kafka's Letter to Milena, and now I'm stuck with this awful depiction of Milena which has poisoned my pure connection to Kafka's letters.

This book was so dreadful I'm not sure where to start.

I guess my first question is why the hell did Estima write Milena as though she is a fiery 2010s Tumblr feminist bad ass? Here are some examples of what I mean- these are bits of dialogue from Milena:

"I'd much rather be someone's shot of whiskey than everybody's cup of tea"- pg 100
(I reblogged this quote when I was 13. Why is it in here?)

"Mischief is the devil's vice, Milena." "Darling," I take my thumb and put it in his mouth, "I am the vice"- pg. 116

"That's rather fascinating because I come from the church of the United Sisterhood of I Don't Give a Damn What You Think" - pg. 136

Just a few examples to show how cringey Milena is portrayed. But I think Estima is trying to write her as a admirable and ambitious girl boss, but she just reads as shallow, inexperienced, and arrogant. We never see a more human side to her so I didn't feel connected to Milena once, she seems like the kind of person I'd actively avoid being around.

What pissed me off more is that there are opportunities where the reader could have gained some insight into Milena's inner world- so far all we see is her incredibly annoying exterior and we know some facts about what she does on a daily basis. But there are moments where Estima could have written her in a more empathetic way, allowing the reader to actually feel some kind of connection to her to accompany her otherwise cold exterior.

For instance, when Kafka asks Milena why she's with Ernst, Milena just glazes over the story saying that he helped her flee an asylum. This story is told in 2 paragraphs! This would have been a great opportunity for Milena to show some vulnerability and allow the reader to connect with her, and understand why she's staying with Ernst. But no, we get 2 brief emotionless paragraphs and no more insight into what she sees in Ernst.

I could go on. Overall this book was so rushed yet so long. It's all exposition. It feels so long yet so little happens, the characters are so shallow, there are no insights. For historical fiction, there is just no atmosphere that gave me a sense of the setting. Estima talked so much about food shortages and inflation but these facts failed to orient me in the space she was trying to create.

Lastly, the book is packed with so many terrible metaphors and similes. Over a dozen occasions while reading, I'd encounter a metaphor, pause to visualize, and feel more confused and like the rhetorical device served to interrupt the reading experience rather than add anything to the story.

A generous 1.5/5 rounded up. I cannot in good faith recommend this book to anyone. Although for those who read and enjoyed (I'm assuming lovers of this book are not avid Kafka fans? Correct me if I'm wrong)., very happy for you!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book is set between world wars in a time of significant change. Women’s rights and roles are evolving although not quick enough for Milena Jesenka. Based on a true account Milena and Franz Kafka have a passionate affair which the author does a brilliant job in imagining. I enjoyed this book and the author is incredibly talented for this to be a debut.

Thank you House of Anansi for the complimentary copy.

[Indhyra Helfrich Linares · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning debut. I was immediately immersed in Milena’s journey—her resilience and wit make for such a compelling story. Historical-fiction lovers will not be disappointed.



Thank you to House of Anansi Press for the free copy

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was OK, I know it’s based on the true story between Kafka and Milena, but I felt it was a little overdone. She was always racing. There was always a jackdaw outside the window.

[Dee Prenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an example of solid historical fiction, in my mind. Much written about the politics, the setting, the cultural realities, and how they inform the psyche of the characters. Much about the thoughts, motivations and passions of the main character, and not about her gowns or her hairstyle. The things that land resistance fighter and journalist Milena Jesenska in a cell being interrogated by a Nazi officer, as we meet her on the first page, still fighting.
I appreciated the story and learned a lot about her and about Kafka, her lover. The down side: thundering, clunky, and baffling metaphor and simile that rather dogged almost every page.
Glad to have read this, regardless.

[Steph Percival · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superbly researched and imagined, Letters to Kafka is utterly immersive. With her pen, Christine Estima has waved a wand and brought Milena to life, as fully realized as anyone living today, and set her amidst a richly detailed backdrop of 1920s Vienna and Prague. By far one of the best novels of 2025 and one I’ll want to return to.

[Gail Fenton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy reading most of the sentences in this novel. Excessive flowery language (open to random page “the twilight passes through me like a wind that knocks down electricity poles”) ??? and meaningless details that I just eye-rolled through the whole thing. A lost opportunity to transport us skillfully to a time and place for sure.

[Ola S · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Letters to Kafka” by Christine Estima

Inspired by the real letters between Franz Kafka and Milena Jesenská, his translator and muse, this novel reimagines their passionate, intellectual love affair against the backdrop of a Europe during a turbulent and devastating moment of history.

The opening scene, with Milena’s interrogation by the Gestapo, is tense and cinematic, an unforgettable start. I wanted more of that! Estima captures Milena’s sharp wit and restless spirit so vividly that she feels ahead of her time. She is a woman balancing independence, desire, and conviction in a world not yet ready for her courage.

Set between the two world wars, the novel paints Vienna with authenticity and atmosphere. The city is filled with art and politics, and Estima’s meticulous research shines through in all the details.

The middle section slows the pace, leaning more toward romance. The ending, though brief, carries quiet power and sadness.

If I have one small critique, it’s that some metaphors felt a touch too much. With lines like “If our eyes were pistols, he’d have more holes in him than Swiss cheese” Estima broke the mood a little and took me away from the narrative.

Still, this is a beautifully written and deeply feminist portrait of Milena Jesenská. I finished it feeling more informed. I hadn’t known Milena’s story before, and now I want to read other books about her.

Perfect for readers who love literary historical fiction, strong female voices, and novels with a vivid sense of place.

Thank you to @houseofanansi for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[K.J. Aiello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning doesn't even cover it. Brava!

[Richard Derus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bookends with Mattea Roach interview with Author Estima.

Real Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: A sweeping, tragic romance and feminist adventure about translator and resistance fighter Milena Jesenská’s torrid love affair with Franz Kafka.

In 1919, Milena Jesenská, a clever and spirited twenty-three-year-old, is trapped in an unhappy marriage to literary critic Ernst Pollak. Since Pollak is unable to support the pair in Vienna’s post-war economy, Jesenská must supplement their income by working as a translator. Having previously met her compatriot Franz Kafka in the literary salons of Prague, she writes to him to ask for permission to translate his story The Stoker from German to Czech, becoming Kafka’s first translator. The letter launches an intense and increasingly passionate correspondence. Jesenská is captivated by Kafka’s energy, intensity, and burning ambition to write. Kafka is fascinated by Jesenská’s wit, rebellious spirit, and intelligence.

Jesenská and Kafka meet twice for lovers’ trysts, but can such an intense connection endure beyond a fleeting affair? In her remarkable debut novel, Christine Estima weaves little-known facts and fiction into a rich tapestry, powerfully portraying the struggles of a woman forced to choose between the roles of wife, lover, and intellectual.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Modeling to a world unwilling to see what principled resistance to authoritarianism looks like, Milena Jesenská could be no more perfect a subject to study in 2025. Christine Estima has done it for us, and presented her findings in an involving, intense novel of Milena's life. The incident igniting her rise to resistance is a simple and practical one: she needs income. Her then-husband can't, in 1919 Vienna, provide for them. Having very recently read Kafka's stories and being moved deeply by them, Milena writes to request permission to translate them into Czech. Her aim is to get income...the result is to become utterly, passionately entwined with Kafka. It was not primarily a physical affair, only two known meetings, but a deep and consuming love.

The story here, however, is Jesenská...the woman, the intellectual, the object of desire for many members of the Vienna Secession. Reading this book of her own words, stitched into the author's gap-filling prose, I was unable to conceive of a good reason this vibrant and impassioned liver of life and lover of justice was so unfamiliar to me. I know the reason...she's a woman, misogyny's polarizing lenses filter those people out...but talk about stupid! Writing Milena Jesenská out of History is a wrong I hope we will see righted more and more. A resister of Nazism, not a Jew but friend to Jews and accomplice to their escape from certain death, person whose life trajectory includes Ravensbrück, is someone to be celebrated loudly and often. Never more than now.

The mind that created cultural touchstones Gregor Samsa and K., that saw Reality in place of consensus reality, said to Milena: "Milena, if a million loved you, I am one of them, and if one loved you, it was me, if no one loved you then know that I am dead. - FK". A spirit that can elicit this deep and passionate love from one whose life is known by him to be quite short is one worth knowing and celebrating.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5

This was beautiful.

Milena Jesenská was a Czech journalist, writer, editor and translator. It was in the latter role that she rose to some small fame as she was one of the first to translate the works of Franz Kafka from German to Czech. She'd discovered one of his stories which made an impact on her and she wrote directly to him and asked if she could do the translation. This letter started an intense and passionate exchange between them.

Milena was married to Ernst Pollak, a literary critic. His income was poor, which was why Milena began translating. But through the letter exchange with Kafka, Milena lived a vicarious affair. They did meet twice to consummate the affair.

But as neither of them could commit (at the same time) to leaving the safety of their known lives, their relationship - both romantic and epistolary -weighed heavily on them and their attitudes turned colder.

Later in life, as a dictator rose to power in Germany and began eradicating Jews, Milena, who joined a resistance movement to help Jews, was brought in for questioning. The fact that she had been married to a Jew (Ernst) and worked closely with a Jew (Kafka), she was considered no better than a Jew by the Nazis and would be treated as such.

Beautiful and amazing.

Author Christine Estima has written an epic literary work that is part biography, part romance, part historical fiction, and part tragedy. It's hard to see where fact and fiction separate in this work. Estima climbs into the heart of Milena and finds and shares her strength as she stands up to the Nazis and presents Milena's heart in the same way that Milena shares Kafka's heart through her translations of his work.

It's wonderful how Christine Estima has brought this story, of this strong, determined woman, to life. What she went through, what she how she took control, what she survived (and what she didn't) in the early 20th century is nothing less than miraculous. It's sad that she survives in our consciousness only because of a man and her brief affair with him. Had he not been Kafka or someone equally notable, Milena would most likely have been completely forgotten.

But how sweet that Estima has written this story from Milena's point of view. It makes sense and I can't imagine it any other way.

This has me more interested in Milena Jesenská (I've been a tremendous Kafka fan for decades) and I've picked up a biography of her, written by a woman she befriended in a concentration camp, because of this book.

I finished this book days ago and I've been thinking about it and specific scenes since, it has that much power. I look forward to reading more by Christine Estima.

Looking for a good book? Letters to Kafka by Christine Estima is a sweeping tale of one woman of history. It is powerful and beautiful.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

[Taylor Disselhorst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (House of Annasi Press) for the ARC! Review is my own.

"Now that I'm grown I want to threaten people with my wit. I want to charm people with my charisma. I want to be otherworldly. I want to scorch every heart and engulf every spirit I encounter. I want to be loved and helplessly adored for the power of my thoughts."

This book has me begging for the world to give a second chance to a man and woman who died over 80-100 years ago!

Vienna/Europe during this time (rise of Vienna Secession - WWII) is something I find incredibly interesting and was my initial reason for requesting the book. I did not know much about Franz and Milena, only bits of his letters, so the name dropping of prominent figures in the beginning got me hooked (Klimt, Schiele, Sinclair).

The author writes so beautifully. Poetic prose that really immersed the reader in Vienna and Prague. I haven’t been to either city since 2019 but the way she wrote it was correct, it felt ephemeral yet giant. Like you are constantly retracing someone else's footsteps.

Mostly though I think the author did a phenomenal job of portraying the heartbreaking love between Franz and Milena. Weaving in the real writings with ones imagined - knowing they couldn’t and wouldn’t be together but desperate for a taste of one another - it felt real. After getting to know Milena I think that Estima probably got as close as we could ever picture someone getting after Kafka himself.

‘Affair’ seems so meek and dirty and distasteful to describe these two. If a man wrote to me ‘I need all the time I have and a thousand times more than all the time I have and most of all I’d like to have all the time there is just for you, for thinking about you, for breathing you in” and then history called it a mere affair I’d come back and HAUNT them. I think the author hit this point that we can call it brief but to call it weak is a disservice.

Milena had such a sad life (hard family life, bad marriages, loss, arrests/psych holds, being captured by nazis), but Estima never made it seem like Milena saw it that way. In those hardships, she made the her life beautiful in ways that mattered to her. She read and wrote, took risks, helped people escape the nazis. An incredibly interesting, intellectual woman until the end. Almost too cool for Franz, which I think he knew too.

I also didn’t know that the “If BLANK has 100 fans i am one of them, if they have one its me, if they have none then im dead” trend came from KAFKA TO MILENA!!!

Milena, if a million loved you, I am one of them, and if one loved you, it was me, if no one loved you then know that I am dead. - FK

Anyway I will be reading ‘Letters to Milena’ to further hurt myself.

[herliterary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think there’s something more emotionally profound when you know what you’re reading is based on the lives of two people who once walked the earth we inhabit now.

Reading Letters to Kafka was a more visceral and gut-wrenching experience for me than Letters to Milena, and the author should be truly proud of that. Despite *not* being Milena or Kafka herself, I felt that this book transported me into their own minds while reading it. She was able to bring Milena and her perspective to life in, I think, the most authentic and brutal way possible. Her writing style is lush, immersive, and evocative, yet not repetitive. Symbolisms were executed with intention and did not feel forced at all.

The author likely drew on both the spirit of Jesenká and Kafka while writing this. There are no other words to say except that it was *spot on.* Estima was able to picture the visceral pain of grief, longing, liberation, and the carnal desire to be more, to be loved, yearned, and chosen. This wasn’t just a story about their Milena and Kafka’s story. It bred more than that. It was a story of moral jurisdiction and indispensability, the complex nature of marriage and its divergence from companionship, the bitter and rancid taste of fighting for what is not meant to be fought, the courage of learning to walk away, and the piercing shrill of remaining steadfast with the love you have for your country.

I appreciate that the author did not try to fabricate the ending into a happy one. It acknowledges that even the most illuminating and deepest of passions and desires can still burn out. Neither of them wanted to give in. Of pride. Of ego. Of fear. All of which perfectly encapsulates what it (still) means to be in a relationship while also battling our own demons in the big year of 2026.

Fear only supersedes love when we choose to let it.

Milena is a beacon for women seeking independence while also longing for companionship. Despite her desire to be with Kafka, she remained steadfast in her wishes to be independent—to be of an individual—and I love that she didn’t let her values falter because of this romantic pursuit (no matter how all-consuming it was). I think that’s one of the difficult lessons we have to learn as women. Or even as men. Still, I understand her grief. I think we all do. And Estima did such a beautiful job of depicting and narrating what it means to lose someone you were *almost* with. I grieve for Milena and Kafka, and for their love that burned too bright, that it travelled too fast before they could say *I love you.*

Light does indeed travel faster than sound.

Wherever Kafka and Milena are, I hope they know how many hearts they’ve shattered and touched with their stories.

Live on.

[J.J. Dupuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my review in The Miramichi Reader:

In his preface to Franz Kafka’s Letters to Milena, published in 1952, Willy Haas describes Milena Jesenska as “…passionate, intrepid, cool and intelligent in her decisions, but reckless in the choice of means when her passion was involved…” That short character sketch alone is enough to convince any reader that Milena Jesenska has the qualities of a protagonist, even if they didn’t know of her real-life accomplishments as a translator, writer, editor and member of the resistance movement fighting against the Nazis during their occupation of Czechoslovakia.

Putting Milena Jesenska front and centre is exactly what Christine Estima has done with her powerful debut novel Letters to Kafka. With the historical knowledge and skill that were on display in her story collection The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society, Estima takes readers on a journey to central Europe in the 20s and 30s, to the cobblestone streets, cafés and boudoirs inhabited by the criminally-underappreciated Jesenska and the legendary Franz Kafka. In doing so, politics and history come alive with a literary flourish.

The novel opens in Prague, 1939, where we see Milena has been detained by Nazis who begin interrogating her. This is told to us in the third person, and we watch as though through a two-way mirror, as Milena stands strong in the face of insults, threats and violence. Her interrogator, rather than asking her many questions about the operations of the resistance, their tactics and secrets, fixates on her womanhood, that she chose to marry a Jew (Ernst Pollak) and why she has rejected the life of a house frau.

The following chapter takes readers back to 1918, to the post-Great War tumult. Told in the first person, what we see is not Hemingway’s post-war Paris or Fitzgerald’s jazz age. We get a world that has been turned upside down, where proud, wealthy families have been reduced to hardship. Yet in that chaos there is opportunity for someone brave enough to push for change. Jesenska has not been dealt a great hand, but with her education and skillset, not to mention her guts and fortitude, she tries to make something more of her life, challenging patriarchal norms and not settling.

In Kafka’s Letters to Milena, we are never given her replies. Estima corrects that with this novel, imagining Jesenska’s responses and giving us the lunges, feints, parries and ripostes of a courtship that took place primarily in written form. This epistolary element adds yet another narrative layer to this literary tiramisu, along with both the first- and third- person narration. For readers unfamiliar with Kafka, central Europe in the 20s or Czechoslovakia under the Nazis, Estima’s approach makes the historical details easy to digest.

Letters to Kafka deals with difficult subject matter and the ugliness that men subject women to. Milena goes from facing the caprices of Depression Era patriarchy to the even-more-regressive patriarchy of the National Socialist movement. But far from being a novel of darkness and hopelessness, this book crackles with wit. Without being written in the slow, cumbersome style found in much of the fiction of the early twentieth century, Letters to Kafka maintains a historic authenticity. The humour and voice remain true to the period, and Estima takes full advantage of the context to create drama and tension among readers with contemporary sensibilities.

Both a deeply-intimate story and one that rides on the tide of historical turning points, Letters to Kafka is a beautifully-rendered novel. Estima creates characters with such dimension that, among the cinematic backdrop she has constructed with precise prose, no previous knowledge of Franz Kafka or Milena Jesenska is required. Just sit back and let this book take you on a journey.

[Laurie Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today is the release date of “Letters to Kafka” a sensual and beautifully imaginative take on a historical novel by Christina Estima. This is a feminist tale of translator and resistance fighter Milena Jesenská’s torrid love affair with Franz Kafka as well as her unfortunate end.
Being a smart woman, especially as a writer and intellectual, can still be very hard for certain idiots to accept today, let alone in 1919 in Vienna’s post- war economy where money and work were both tight. Milena is stuck in an unhappy marriage, but her wit, beauty and intellect make her a popular figure in intellectual circles of the time. She meets Franz Kafka and asks if she can translate some of his work from the German to Czech and also starts an illicit affair. The letters they write to each other are passionate, and even though they only meet twice in person for lover’s trysts, they make a giant impact on the other.
I suggest taking your time with this sensual and eclectic prose. Milena is often very witty and funny, and her insults are some of the most quotable I have ever read, “you sly little tit bag.” I also love the way she speaks about love and passion and the fact that “the line between passion and revulsion is a thin one and I am toeing it.” So relatable! Of course, we know the heavy history that comes near the end, the concentration camps and the horrible treatment, and we watch Kafka meet his early end.
A wonderful and different read, and now I will be right back, because I have to go read “Letters to Milena” by Kafka now.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book to be lived inside.

How did the book make me feel/think?

“Christine Estima doesn’t just write beautifully—she places the reader inside the prose and gives them a part to play.”

— Lindsay Wincherauk

Letters to Kafka might be the most beautifully written book I’ve read. Every page dances to life.

Christine Estima’s phraseology is intoxicatingly vibrant, each page standing on its own—visual, alive, and immersive. Her mastery places readers dead smack in the middle of the prose, giving them a role in the experience, something that becomes genuinely hard to put down.

At its heart, Letters to Kafka is an unrequited love story—about friendship, devotion, and the quiet damage done as feminism collides with a world struggling to adjust to shifting roles. The love here is unconditional. Kafka is reintroduced not as the symbol many reduce him to, but as a living presence—human, intimate, and reimagined.

Estima’s writing is profoundly visual. It feels dream-shaped, textured, and luminous, as if each page has already passed through the subconscious before reaching the reader. The result is prose that doesn’t just describe—it unfolds.

My own writing was once compared to Kafka’s. I took it as a compliment, though I assumed it meant I was a little unhinged. After Letters to Kafka, that comparison feels clarified. The brilliance isn’t madness—it’s exposure. Estima’s work makes that unmistakably clear.

This is a book to be lived inside.

​​Written: 4 January 2026

[Mia M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Milena comes across as so vibrant and really sucks you in.

Imo the prose, however, leans too heavily on similes and references which felt forced. Lines like “He looks at me. His eyes spike like the overture of The Barber of Seville” appear so frequently. They dulled the impact of the genuinely poignant moments (of which there were many! And played in my head like a movie!)

And the f**ing jackdaw thing was overdone. The point has been taken and now it’s being forced down my throat instead of being revealed naturally.

Also, I thought it was interesting how some of Kafka’s characterisation was… uneven? Not sure if this was intentional but it intrigued me - Example 1: He wonders why Milena would send him her photograph because her beauty is unforgettable, yet earlier he begs to see her because he can’t remember her face.
Example 2 (and the more interesting one to me): Kafka’s desire to stay “among the living” with Milena after she suggests a visit to the cemetery (which he refuses) sits oddly alongside later claims that he isn’t afraid of death, culminating in the oddly reassuring line from Milena to Kafka on his deathbed, “you’ll never have to meet another living soul ever again. What a relief.”

Sooo… I liked this a lot, loved the Milena POV, the structure/timeline, but in my humble opinion it was doing toooo much. Less is more idk

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

*this book was a book club selection - I did not choose it. *
An interesting and entertaining fictional account of Milena Jasenka's adult life. A real life journalist, Czech resistance member and (most famously) literary translator of Franz Kafka's works, Jasenka leaps to life under novelist Christine Estima's solid hand. It is primarily set in Prague and Vienna, 1918-1939.
While not known for certain, it seems Milena and Kafka had an incendiary affair (glimpsed through through Kafka's correspondence with her) - they only met in person twice. The famous novelist's letters to Milena were published in 1953 (he died in 1924) and so they form a small part of the narrative. However, Miss Jasenka's letters to Kafka have never been recovered - and it is here that Estima really goes to work. They fit entirely with both the intriguing female character's persona and with the sentiments expressed in writing by her paramour.
Like so many women, Jasenka's place in history has been reduced to her intersection with a famous man. This novel - drawn heavily from real correspondence and several biographies - attempts to resurrect that life, and imbue it with all the complexity, depth, and fire that it appears Milena Jasenka exhibited during her extraordinary years.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an excellent fictionalized account of a woman who was sure of herself, didn’t suffer fools and was most definitely living in the wrong era.

Milena Jesenska was a real person who is known for her association with Franz Kafka. Told in a dual timeline, the story follows Milena as she begins corresponding with Kafka, and starts translating some of his work into Czech. Their relationship becomes emotionally and intellectually consuming while her real life is hampered by a bad marriage, money problems , and a career made for men.

In the other timeline, Milena is forced to deal with the Nazi’s who have occupied Prague and who are very interested in Milena’s past activities.

This is one of those books with many quotable passages and that has an army such that it feels like you are in the cafes of Prague and Vienna as the characters discuss writing, music, art and politics in the period between the two World Wars. I learned quite a lot actually.

The book is part epistolary and part romance and part historical fiction with some intrigue and is a full length debut by a Canadian Author. 4.5 stars.

[Alissa Minard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of resilience and independence in a time of great change. Milena is an incredibly compelling protagonist. In both her career and love affairs she is sharp, entertaining, and least a tad bit messy.

Opening with her being interrogated by the Nazi’s was an extremely strong hook that left me wondering how she got there throughout the book.

The language throughout is evocative and at times shocking. Milena flirts with the taboo adding an element of thrill to her inner monologue.

The ending left me devastated even though I knew where it was heading. While this book is specifically about Milena Jesenská it feels like a love letter to the strong, independent women who came before those words were meant as a compliment.

I highly recommend this for fans of historical fiction, or for those that want to read a story about a brave and bold woman who bent the world to her whims.


Thank you to House of Anansi for the ARC. Thoughts expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving historical fiction novel that brings readers into the literary world of Vienna in the 1920’s and the horrors of Prague in the late 1930’s as it explores the life of journalist and literary translator Milena Jesenska. From the literary cafe world of Vienna to the Gestapo interrogations, readers are immersed in Milena’s world as she struggles to find her way to love and work as a writer. The opportunity to translate Franz Kafka’s works provides an escape from her marriage and into the literary world on her own merit. The letters, telegrams, and dialog between them illustrates their connection and how Milena thinks and loves. The postscript provides readers with additional information about the characters in the book which I appreciated. I wanted to know what happened to them. I recommend this book to readers of historical fiction or readers that enjoy books about the literary world.

Thank you to House of Anansi for the free copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[lindsay.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tragic and romantic love story told from the point of view of Milena Jesnska, a (real) 23-year old woman who had a love affair with writer Franz Kafka. The setting of the story, Vienna between the world wars, was all new to me, and the author did a fantastic job describing the city and time period - it felt like the perfect backdrop to the story.
I struggled with the novel at points, mainly because the relationship between Milena and Kafka was so dramatic (and toxic) - likely the same as their relationship in real life since the novel was partly based on (actual) historical letters.

Overall a unique historical fiction novel that I enjoyed, but be prepared to throw it across the room at points.

Thank you to Anansi Press for the gifted copy!

[szreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read sooo many historical fiction novels and this one takes the cake. It’s truly a masterpiece steeped in reality with amazing research and historical insights.

I can see why the author was so enthralled with Milena Jesenská and wanted to tell her story.

After reading I went on a deep dive searching for all things Milena and Kafka.

I’d previously read The Metamorphis and The Castle but had no idea Milena was so pivotal in their translation for other audiences. Reading about her work in translation and life in general was so eye opening.

I will say I was pleasantly surprised that the book was not mainly focused on her and Kafka despite the title. We also get an insight into the rest of her life and resistance work. My jaw did drop tho when I first read the chapter “Ravensbruck”.

The author is truly an amazing writer who artfully weaves a story between Milenas time with Kafka mainly post World War 1 as well as her experiences beyond and in the 1940s.

One quote from Milena which stuck with me was “"In Czech, I'm sentimental, sad, and truthful. In German, I'm sober, brief, and good-humoured. Which person would you like best?"

She’s truly a force to be reckoned with and I’m so glad she has had a book written showing her history.

History lovers, feminists, and fans of Kafka alike will surely enjoy this book.

Thank you to House of Anansi Press for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Dixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t always enjoy fiction because it is the imagination of someone else whom you may not always see eye to eye. Kafka is one of my favourite authors and when I heard the interview with the novelist,I was intrigued enough to check this book out. Europe in the 1920s was bursting with a feverish joie de vivre. They had just closed a heavy chapter with the end of WWI and the Spanish flu, Live for today because there is no guarantee of a future. I enjoyed some aspects of this book, but not the central character. Milena Jesenka seems to have been an extraordinary woman shackled history’s inmutable course. But overall, the reimagining didn’t work for me.

[Dawn Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept me enthralled with how well-researched and written it was. It was a great book to read in the winter and nestle with a warm beverage and be immersed in this period in Vienna and Prague and learn about this extraordinary woman, Milena. My appreciation for this book was enhanced by the fact I participated in the Found Book (Cochrane, Alberta, Canada) had a 'book in a box' event and we were lucky to have our event with Christine participating virtually to tell us about her 12 year journey with the writing of this book her 4 years of research. I am grateful I read this book and highly recommend it.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

short: Letters to Kafka is a powerful and worthy read. It brings Milena Jesenská’s story into sharp relief and offers a nuanced portrait of intellectual and romantic desire set against some of Europe’s darkest chapters.

I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars — slightly short of perfect only because of the occasional stylistic heaviness and structural ambition, but it achieves far more than many historical novels attempt.

Highly recommended for lovers of literature, history and passionate character-driven storytelling.”