How Nathaniel Wonderful and Raine Stonewall Building a Legacy
Literature is a vast landscape, branching into countless genres, subgenres, and niche fields. The restless currents of time carry these branches through the ages, washing some ashore to decay while new ones take their place. This endless cycle entwines with society itself, which rises, falls, and transforms with each passing era.
Aware of the inconstancy of trends, we decided to build the foundations of our series on values that may now lie under the sands of time, waiting as the new course of wind wash them away. To the surprise of many fellow authors and promoters of all sort we are not compete in a hundred metres sprint aiming for the gold of fame and money, but we chose the endless marathon of seeking the light of eternity.
That is why my wife, Raine Stonewall, and I, Nathaniel Wonderful, devote ourselves to a series drawn from the deep waters of knowledge and experience, rather than the passing showers of popular themes and mainstream entertainment. Yet, to reach such depths—to let the roots grow strong—requires time, a currency that many today measure only in monetary value. We are not like others. We create as we choose, and we always will.
We have already planted the first acorns of our series, the Divine Tragicomedy, a work of literary fiction with fantasy elements. As we rewrite the first volume, Inscrutable Ways of Fate, into English, we remain steadfast in our decision to use British English. Given that our story is set in a fictional world inspired by mediaeval Europe, this choice is not only logical but natural. To those who would turn away from our work over such a trivial matter as reading in British English, we feel no regret—for books were never meant for such readers.
Neither my wife nor I hail from an English-speaking country, nor have we studied this foreign language in school or formal courses. Yet, we have reached the level of interpreter and translator through dedication alone. If we could achieve this, then understanding our text should not be an insurmountable task for those already familiar with American English.
As avid readers of non-fiction in the fields of psychology, philosophy, and symbolism, we focus on themes rarely explored in today’s mainstream literature. Were we inclined to boast, we might say that our work is a meeting of Umberto Eco and Andrzej Sapkowski. However, we remain true to ourselves. Beyond offering readers a glimpse into the souls of multiple characters, we also provide deeper insights through an explanatory commentary section.
Allow us to present a small taste of what awaits within these pages.
Ludmila wore a loktushe—a white bonnet, the emblem of a married woman—atop her head. The bonnet’s crisp linen folds framed her face, a stark contrast to the loose strands of hair escaping its edges. The pea-green skirt that extended nearly to her ankles, overlaying her long white shirt. A girdle with pouches for gathering herbaceous plants encircled her waist above her pregnant belly. She had feet swathed in foot rags and shod in low, heel-less, soft shoes fastened round her ankles with twine. —Inscrutable Ways of Fate
Loktushe
A real word in the Czech language, originally written as loktuše. It comes from the German lakentuch.
A loktuše was typically a linen or cotton headscarf or bonnet, often plain and light-coloured, tied under the chin or pinned to fully cover the hair. It was commonly worn by women in the Czech lands, especially in rural areas. This style was both practical for daily work and symbolic in social contexts.
In Czech and broader Slavic traditions, unmarried girls often wore their hair loose or with minimal adornment (e.g., ribbons), while married women fully covered their heads with bonnets, scarves, or caps like the loktuše. This practice, rooted in Christian norms from the Middle Ages, signalled modesty and a wife’s role, hiding her hair from all but her husband. Folklorists note this in Moravian and Bohemian records, where white headwear often denoted purity within marriage. Today, the loktuše survives in Czech folk costumes, worn by dance troupes or displayed in museums like the National Museum in Prague.
In Czech folklore, headscarves or bonnets often appear on wise women or matrons, where humble attire masks inner strength. For example, Karel Jaromír Erben’s A Bouquet of Folk Legends (Kytice z pověstí národních), which was adapted into a film in 2000 by director F. A. Brabec.
As we continue to rewrite and refine Inscrutable Ways of Fate, we hope you’ll join us on this journey. Whether you’re drawn to the rich symbolism, the intricate characters, or the echoes of mediaeval era, there is something within these pages for every seeker of depth. Stay with us, and together, we’ll uncover the layers of meaning, the hidden truths, and the enduring beauty of a story written not for the moment, but for eternity.
Yours Truly,
Nathaniel Wonderful
Author
nathanielwonderful@gmail.com
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