Train to Trieste

Written by Domnica Radulescu

Narrated by Yelena Shmulenson

The lyrical story of a young woman's journey from the totalitarianism of Eastern Europe to the freedom of America, told by an author who knows first-hand about living in a cruel and absurd dictatorship.

It's the summer of 1977, and seventeen-year-old Mona is madly in love. Visiting her aunt's village at the foot of the misty Carpathian mountains, all she can think about is the mysterious, handsome Mihai, the woods where they linger, his deep green eyes, and his cool, starched sheets.

Romania is in the early years of the repressive Ceausescu regime. One day Mona sees Mihai wearing the black leather jacket favored by the secret police. Could he be one of them?

As food shortages worsen, paranoia grows, and more of her loved ones disappear in "accidents," Mona realizes she must leave her country. She makes a daring escape to America without saying goodbye to Mihai. In Chicago, she becomes a doctoral student, marries, has children, and tries to bury her longing for the past-until she feels compelled to return home and learn the truth about her one great love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Aug 5, 2008
• ISBN: 9781598877519

Reviews for Train to Trieste

[artfullydodging · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written and emotionally engaging.

[frisbeesage · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Train to Trieste follows the life of Mona Manoliu starting when she is a teenager in Romania during the reign of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Times are hard, there are food shortages and restrictions everywhere, and people live in fear and suspicion. However, life goes on, and in the midst of the fear and deprivation Mona falls in love for the first time with a mysterious boy named Mihai. When Mona's family begins to die in improbable accidents she flees Romania for safety. Years later she is living in America, trying to forget her past and build a new life. But she can't forget Mihai, her first love, and the summer she left him behind. She returns to Romania determined to learn the truth of what happened the summer she left. This book is a nice addition to the many historical fiction books that have become so popular. It gives a clear accounting of what happened in Romania in the late 1970's under Ceausescu and how it affected the lives of ordinary people. The story is beautifully and poetically written. Unfortunately the plot is a bit slow and its easy to lose interest in Mona's plight. I listened to this book on audio, read by Yelena Shmulenson and her thick Yiddish accent definitely adds a lot of atmosphere to the story.