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Kekanović paints a magnificent picture of the late Middle Ages in the Balkans (Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary, the Ottoman Empire) – a turbulent (un)time of wars, migrations, political marriages, intrigues and large-scale migrations of Serbs before the Turkish onslaught. The plot follows Catherine’s fate: from being the despot’s daughter through marriage and life at court, to her role in the settlement and integration of Serbian people into new regions (Slavonia, Croatia).

The narrative is refined, rich in language and historical details, with an emphasis on attachment – ​​an emotional, cultural and identity connection to homeland, faith and family in the midst of exile and change. The novel is a chronicle of a turbulent era, but also a profound study of a woman in a political and family vortex, of love, loyalty and survival.

Critics (e.g. Jaroslav Pecnik in Novi list) praise it as a great novel about history and love, about women and their role in social fractures – a layered story about the roots and migrations of Serbs in the 15th century, without pathos, with a deep understanding of the historical context. An important contribution to Croatian-Serbian literature and historical prose.