In the book Two Houses Above the Sea (orig. Dvije kuće iznad mora), Dražen Lalić begins with an analysis of historical events and the culture of memory within families in Dalmatia, specifically in its two distinct regions. The book contributes to the description of historical phenomena and the explanation and understanding of the conditions that shaped events in Dalmatia, Croatia, and beyond during the first half of the twentieth century, particularly during and after the Second World War. It is primarily focused on the meaningful exploration of the traumas and psychological burdens experienced by the author’s two families in connection with these events, and on the memories of their descendants in the Makarska Riviera and the island of Korčula, as well as in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The author skillfully places all these tragic and traumatic events experienced by numerous members of his and related families over their centuries-long history into a sociological, psychological, anthropological, and historical context. In doing so, he affirms the increasingly accepted view that so-called "grand" history is best understood through the lens of "small" history and through critical analysis of the rises and falls of individuals and their families during pivotal social and political moments.