Czech author speaks of shared past with TaiwanStaff Writer, with CNAWhen best-selling Czech author Katerina Tuckova was in Taiwan earlier this month to promote the Chinese version of her novel The Last Goddess, she said the novel might resonate with Taiwanese readers because of a similar authoritarian past. Czech writer Katerina Tuckova poses for a photograph in Prague on Feb.1. Beyond similarities between the histories of Taiwan and the Czech Republic, Tuckova drew parallels between the “goddesses” and shamanic women among some of Taiwan’s indigenous groups, including the Amis and Kavalan people. She praised Taiwan for recognizing the importance of preserving cultural traditions before they disappear, which did not happen in the Czech Republic, because there was little left to save by the time people started to appreciate the culture. Such was the persecution of the “goddesses” in Czechoslovakia that bias against them was built into the language, including the phrase “you lie like a goddess,” Tuckova said.

Source: Taipei Times February 23, 2026 17:13 UTC