Anne Marie Kenny: A Song for Bohemia

February 18th, 2025

With a dream and a passion for singing, author Anne Marie Kenny’s decision to move to France sparked the events she writes about in her memoir, A Song for Bohemia.

Growing up in Omaha, Kenny began singing with her sisters when she was five. As an adult, Kenny moved to France to begin a professional singing career.  

Kenny performed on the radio, in clubs, and in concert halls throughout Paris. In 1989, Kenny watched from France as the Berlin Wall fell. That same year, Czechoslovakia underwent the Velvet Revolution. Inspired by the revolution, Kenny sent a poem written in English, French, and Czech to the new president.  

 Kenny moved to Czechoslovakia soon after. Once established in the country, she began running a staffing and training company. and became a business owner, running a staffing and training company. After 10 years in Czechoslovakia, Kenny sold her business and returned to Omaha.  

 Five years ago, Kenny got the idea to write about her time in France and Czechoslovakia while staying in a hotel with her friend. Kenny’s work on her memoir brought with it a spotlight on her life. During her time in Czechoslovakia, Kenny’s experience watching the people around her reinvent themselves after 40 years of totalitarian rule resonated with her own struggles at the time.  

 A Song for Bohemia was first published in Czech in Oct. 2024. In January, the memoir was published in English as well.  

 For more information about A Song for Bohemia, you can visit Kenny’s website at https://www.annemariekenny.com.