Initial Coordinates

Magical realist novel in verse

Initial Coordinates meditates on Monika Herceg’s earliest childhood memories in a small rural village near Petrinja in central Croatia as war breaks out in the 1990s. This magical realist novel in verse explores the history of a family through how they endure the overall decline of village life. Drawing directly on Slavic mythology, this bold, unforgettable work mimics oral traditions, reflecting the people who helped shape Herceg’s voice and perspective, one very much rooted in the resilience of nature’s rhythms.