In 1946 ominous clouds are gathering on the narrow horizon of
Lupoaia (Valley of the Wolves), a little village in Transylvania,
where traditions, impregnated with prejudice and superstition, have
endured over many generations. The Second World War is over but the
lives of the villagers are thrown into turmoil with the imposition
of drastic, senseless changes by a new regime, intent on creating a
"new man" for a "new society." The newly-installed totalitarian
government threatens to eliminate the Flonta family by declaring
Teodor's father, Pavel, a "chiabur" - an 'enemy of the people'.
Pavel is arrested, imprisoned and tortured. When the wave of
persecutions reaches its peak, he is forced to live in hiding. A
trade, learned by Pavel in his youth, unexpectedly becomes his
salvation - the Russians, who are extracting uranium in the
Carpathians for their first atomic bomb, hire him. There, at the
mine, the tentacles of the "Securitate" - the secret police -
cannot reach him. Stalin is still alive when Teodor starts school.
Torn between two opposite worlds - home, where traditional values
are preserved and love abounds - and school, where indoctrination
and inequity prevail, he constantly questions and ponders the
twisted logic behind events, sometimes with cheekiness and humour,
as only a child is capable of doing under the circumstances.
Events, however, affect Teodor deeply from an early age, as in the
communist system the sins of the father - imaginary as they might
be - are made to fall on his young son's shoulders. *** '"A
Luminous Future" offers a unique insight into one of the most
disturbing periods of modern European history. By turns amusing,
terrifying and confronting, the story of Teodor Flonta, his father,
his family and his community, is both a valuable social document
and an intriguing read.' Chris McLeod, "Man of Water," Fremantle
Arts Centre Press 'The author does a wonderful job combining the
historical and the personal. The images and themes surrounding the
wolves - both animal and human - are brilliant. One of the greatest
things about this memoir is how the author balances the darkness
and cruelty with pitch perfect humor. It is such a triumphant story
in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and I think readers
will love this family and thespirit they show. It's funny and warm
andheartbreaking - as life so often is.' Jayne Pupek, "The Tomato
Girl," Algonquin This is a charming and sometimes shocking portrait
of growing up in a remote village in Romania during the Communist
era. It is an intriguing portrayal of the customs and traditions
that lingered on from the pre-Communist days, humorous and brutal
as they were, and their destruction at the hands of what seems a
madness that gripped the country during the 1940s and 50s. It is
also a testament to the resilience of the author's father who
endured unimaginable pressures, humiliations and imprisonments for
committing no crime other than employing a couple of men.
Personally I find the story quite gripping, and clearly and vividly
told, with a mass of illuminating detail. The characters come to
life well, the author makes a good guide to this - to us - strange
world, and conveys the politics in a lively but understated way.'
Helena Drysdale, "Looking for George," Picador
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