Title: Where
the Willow Grows in Transylvania
Author: Rosa Alexander
Review: This was an interesting book to read. My husband and I spent 18 months in Romania
where this book takes place so we loved hearing of all the places and about the
people even though the names were different.
If I understand this
correctly, this is a novel taken from real life experiences. Having lived in Romania we were able to hear
firsthand some of the horrible things that happened to the people during the
Ceausescu era, he nearly starved a whole country to death to build a “People’s
Palace” larger than the Pentagon, razing whole sections of town and throwing
the people out into the street with no recompense for their homes that were
lost to build “their palace”. He was
called a “Friend of the People” and a “friend of America” and the world thought
he was a great leader. A lot of the
people we met were young when he took over as “President for life” (which
turned out to be true,) and all they remembered were the starving times they
went through.
This book is
interesting the way it presents “Rosa’s” story but the language used is too
stilted for me, I felt that I was sitting at an old B rated movie when the
conservation would go back and forth between two bad guys. Example: out of the book,
“Be good, my Rosa”,
Mother said hugging me tightly before I boarded the train.
“I will. You be careful, Mother. Watch out that you do not let Father hurt
you.”
Everything will be
fine, my dear Rosa. You do not
worry. Just go and have a good time….”
That may not be the
best example but it gives the idea. If
this book is a translation from Romanian to English I understand the language
seeming stilted, although I wish the names had been left in their Romanian
form.
The story deals with a
young girl whose name is Rosa, who lives with her mother and father in a small
village. They are quite poor because her
father drinks all of his paycheck at the local bar. He’s also very violent and beats both Rosa
and her mother causing Rosa to have to learn to overcome her hatred and fear of
him. Even when he quits drinking it is
many years before she can allow herself to trust him. This story could have been quite beautiful if
more of it could have centered on her working through these feelings but it
seems to jump over them and leaves the reader feeling that Rosa never really
recovered from it and took those feelings with her into her life after her
childhood.
She seem to have had a
happy marriage , but at the same time always seems to be unhappy and wanting
something better. It is sad that her
family was split up for such a long time but after a while I got tired of the
“poor little Rosa” and would have like to have seen a conclusion to the
problems a bit faster. I believe that
the reason for this type of attitude was the oppressive life she lived as a
child. All of her hopes and dreams were squelched first by an abusive father
and then by oppressive government, so to her the America her great Aunt
describes, looks like the place to answer all her girlhood dreams. But as she finds out, all countries have
their problems and happiness is not about the place we live but the happiness we
allow ourselves to have and the joys that come from within, if we only allow
it.
The story was
interesting but goes on way too long, a bit more editing would be helpful. Several of our reviewers have mentioned this
seems to be a problem with the Tate Publishing Company.
Thanks go to Eileen for this review.
Publisher: Published November 1st 2011 by TatePublishing & Enterprises
ISBN: 9781617776137
Copyright: 2011
Pages:
354
Quick Review: 3 stars (out of 5)-
Why I Read It:
Sent by the author for review.
Synopsis: “I do not want to hear another word
about your crazy American Dream!”
Words such as these
from Rosa Alexander’s father during his frequent drunken rants often drove
young Rosa to seek solace beneath her weeping willow tree. One day, however,
her aunt Klara visits from America, giving Rosa hope for a brighter future.
Rosa held on to her dream for years, waiting for the chance to leave her
beloved homeland and find a home across the ocean. The time never comes,
however, and eventually Rosa marries Alan and starts a family; believing that
perhaps America is not part of her plan anymore.
As life becomes
increasingly harder, in 1985, Rosa and Alan finally make plans to escape the
cruel eye of the Romanian government and find freedom in America. They are
forced, however, to leave their children—Julia, 8; and Peter, 4—behind. When
Peter and Julia are not able to join her and Alan as hoped, Rosa struggles
through enormous sorrow as she begins an almost four-year battle to reunite her
family.
Where the Willow Grows
in Transylvania, based on the emotional true story of Rosa Alexander’s American
Dream, relates how Rosa’s dream eventually becomes a grown-up search for peace
and a yearning for her family to be together. As Rosa begins to trust God, she
not only hears His voice but also finds her own. Rosa’s story reminds readers
that with faith, dreams can come true.
Where the Willow Grows
in Transylvania differs from many books on the market as it takes the reader to
a different world yet encourages him/her in his own world to remember the value
of love for one's family; friends; country. This book also encourages readers
to hold onto . . . to never give up on their dream. As she tells her story,
Rosa
reminds readers that a
dream can come true - even if it takes 50 years.
Author Biography: Author interview here.
Wryte Stuff
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