The monograph offers a compelling exploration of the intertwined histories of three related families – the Oblak, Dobovišek and Konte lineages – and uses their personal life journeys to explore the broader historical landscape of the 19th and 20th centuries. Drawing on extensive archival and field research, as well as interviews with relatives, contemporary witnesses and experts, the study offers a nuanced insight into the ways in which far-reaching historical forces shaped private lives – and conversely, how these families actively participated in shaping the world around them. Individual pioneers are at the centre of the narrative: Augustin Oblak served as a judge in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the high-profile trial of members of the Young Bosnia movement; Marinka Oblak was the first female skier in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Sonja Lapajne Oblak became the first female civil engineer and urban planner in Slovenia; her sister-in-law Nedeljka Dobovišek was the first female cultural-geodetic engineer; Ivan Konte played a key role in the establishment of the Yugoslav radar service and the introduction of audio visual methods for teaching foreign languages; and his brother Vili Konte became a prominent figure in the pre-war communist movement. At the same time, the book does not shy away from the darker sides of history, such as imprisonment, concentration camps, political persecution, the loss of children and the trauma caused by armed conflicts. The silence that the author “hears” also reveals the mechanisms of post-war silence: fear of repression, denial as a survival strategy and unresolved pain that is passed down through generations.