Shari Boruvka Roth was born in Prague, where she witnessed the Nazi and Communist takeovers of the then-newly-born Czech Republic. She immigrated to the U.S. with her family to escape the Stalinist persecutions. In New York City she studied illustration at Pratt Institute and voice at Juilliard School of Music. Returning to Europe on a Fulbright, she embarked on a decades-long career, singing leading roles in classic and modern operas. Later she taught voice and opera at Montevallo University in Alabama. Her imaginative and sometimes humorous stories reflect her eventful childhood, her special love of opera and cats, but also her outrage at cruelty committed throughout history.
Before she died in February 2017, Shari dedicated these stories "to my parents' memory." Her sister, Radmila Boruvka Raikow, edited her text; and her nephew, Steven Boruvka Raikow digitized her illustrations.