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Train to Trieste
An incandescent love story—a thrilling debut novel—that moves from Romania to America, from the Carpathian Mountains to Chicago, from totalitarianism to freedom, and from passionate infatuation to profound understanding.
In the summer of 1977, seventeen-year-old Mona Manoliu falls in love with Mihai, a mysterious, green-eyed boy who lives in Brasov, the romantic mountain c...more
In the summer of 1977, seventeen-year-old Mona Manoliu falls in love with Mihai, a mysterious, green-eyed boy who lives in Brasov, the romantic mountain c...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
August 5th 2008
by Knopf
(first published January 1st 2008)
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The protagonist discovers love as a teenager in the repressive Romania of Ceaucescu and then flees the demons (real and imagined) that haunt her to find a new life in America. Although she gains a mature sense of self, she remains nostalgic for the land she has left and the life and love she has lost by leaving. Her appreciation for the land and its people infuses her passion for her lover with a chthonic power which imprints itself on her soul as an innate releasing mechanism that abides until...more
A teenager named Mona & her parents are living in Romania during the communist regime.
Her father is secretly working against the regime and he is putting his family in a lot of danger. Therefore, they arrange to have Mona escape to the U.S.
Once she gets to the U.S. she lives with various people and has various jobs. However, she is always thinking of her long lost love, Mihai.
She gets married in the U.S. to a guy named Tom and they have 2 boys. Her parents also come to live in the U.S.
They...more
Her father is secretly working against the regime and he is putting his family in a lot of danger. Therefore, they arrange to have Mona escape to the U.S.
Once she gets to the U.S. she lives with various people and has various jobs. However, she is always thinking of her long lost love, Mihai.
She gets married in the U.S. to a guy named Tom and they have 2 boys. Her parents also come to live in the U.S.
They...more
Domnica Radulescu' semi-autobiographical debut novel, "Train to Trieste," is a fascinating page turner, full of contrasts. She describes, with nostalgia and much love, her homeland, Romania, with its physical beauty, it's mountains, plains, rivers, forests, and extraordinary seaside resorts and homes on the Black Sea. She writes of "one beautiful summer," with its "linden trees and vodka made from fermented plums and stars and mountains and raspberries...." The scenery is "gorgeous," the Carpath...more
Wow.
This was exactly the book I was searching for -- a book that brings the beauty of the Romanian landscape, the consciousness of the contemporary Romanian with all the poetic perspective that comes so naturally through the language, with an American sensibility to honestly portray the harrowing daily trials of life under tyranny, and wraps it all up with an uncharacteristic dollop of hope. I use the word "uncharacteristic" because there are so few Romanian authors brave enough (American enoug...more
This was exactly the book I was searching for -- a book that brings the beauty of the Romanian landscape, the consciousness of the contemporary Romanian with all the poetic perspective that comes so naturally through the language, with an American sensibility to honestly portray the harrowing daily trials of life under tyranny, and wraps it all up with an uncharacteristic dollop of hope. I use the word "uncharacteristic" because there are so few Romanian authors brave enough (American enoug...more
I put of reading this book for a long time because its cover looked too 'mushy' and its title seemed appropriate to a romance. Still, the subject of life in Communist Romania in the 1970s was interesting and something i knew little more about than what i had read in newspapers and seen on the news at the time. and there was nothing else tempting to read near at hand.
This is an intelligent book with the ring of authenticity in terms of its historical detail but its also a romance - and while I t...more
This is an intelligent book with the ring of authenticity in terms of its historical detail but its also a romance - and while I t...more
One feels that there is a LOT of the author in this book. She brings out both the beauty and the ugliness of Romania. During the years leading up to the 1989 revolution, there was a justifiable culture of distrust amongst friends combined with a strengthening of family bonds. This is brought out so well by the writing of Domnica Radulescu. Eventually, the contrasts with American society, and its very different values, are brought to the fore, and you'll come to truly understand the meaning of th...more
8 likes · like · see review
"In the summer of 1977, seventeen-year-old Mona Manoliu falls in love with Mihai, a mysterious, green-eyed boy who lives in Brasov, the romantic mountain city where she spends her summers. She can think of nothing, and no one, else. But life under the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu is difficult. Hunger and paranoia infect everyone; fear, too. And one day, Mona sees Mihai wearing the black leather jacket favored by the secret police. Could he be one of them?"
The story takes Mona from Romania t...more
The story takes Mona from Romania t...more
I absolutely LOVED this story! The first thing that caught my attention was the form in which it was written. Domnica Radulescu did an awesome job in telling the story in first person, present tense. I had never read a story where an author had done that, so it was something that really caught my eye. And her style was like poetry. I honestly can not think of another author that can describe a character's surroundings in such a visual way while making it flow like a song. The only thing I didn't...more
Overall, I did not really enjoy this book. Upon picking it up, it sounded interesting, but when opening it, not so much. The story is written choppily, almost like a child writing in fragmented sentences. I am not sure if this was on purpose or if it was just written poorly, but it was what I found most distracting. As the story goes on, it gets easier to bear, though. I enjoyed the latter part of the book far more than the former, but I still felt kind of ripped off at the end, because the endi...more
The beginning and the end were the weakest parts of this book. I wasn’t captured by the young romance of the beginning nor the final explanation of all the events summarized at the end. Still, I really enjoyed my time spend with this book. Life in Romania under Nicolae Ceausescu in the 1980s, the perils of emigration and life as a Romanian emigrant, all are perceptively described, emotionally and intellectually. I felt I was there experiencing the main character’s confusion, weariness, worries,...more
6 likes · like · see review
Although I found the author's writing style a little hard to read, I still found myself being pulled into Mona's story. Probably like most of us out there, I've read very little fiction about Romania so I really have no baseline to compare it to. The author is very knowledgeable about Romania during the 1970s through 1980s and I found the story very informative. Although another reviewer has panned this book stating the story was more of a person's of priviledge (unlike most Romanians during tha...more
Train to Trieste
'I am lying on the floor and I want this moment to last forever, this Romanian Summer in a small city in the Carpathian Mountains'. As much as the author wants her moment to last, I want this novel to last forever. After reading the last words of the book, I want to read her next book. I am afraid I have to wait for a while because this book has been published in 2007.
Never before have I read a book about Romania. And I probably knew as much about this country as you do when you...more
'I am lying on the floor and I want this moment to last forever, this Romanian Summer in a small city in the Carpathian Mountains'. As much as the author wants her moment to last, I want this novel to last forever. After reading the last words of the book, I want to read her next book. I am afraid I have to wait for a while because this book has been published in 2007.
Never before have I read a book about Romania. And I probably knew as much about this country as you do when you...more
Honestly, In the beginning i skipped over some(somethings seemed to wordy&unnecessary) BUT! once o got passed the unneccessaries i was hooked! I really enjoyed it. Mona & Mihai's love was crazy i loved mihai's character =) In the end i begged for more i felt so cut off i was a bit dissapionted, i just wished there was abit more.However, i think how it ended was perfect b/c i guess that was all that was left ( her &mihai) hopefully i made sense XD
Liked it. Story of a Romanian teenager, Mona Manoliu during the 70s and 80s. Her eventual flight from Romania to America (alone) -- and the not-always fulfilling life she lives there. Strong themes of family and love woven throughout the story - and the inescapable effect that life in communist, oppressive Romania had on her. Would read this one again.
Feels like I've been saying this a lot lately but this book was amazing! I don't really feel like writing a long review right now so I'm just gonna keep it short.
I really felt the terror, hope and confusion going on in Rumania in the 70's while reading about Mona and her life there. And her life in America really captured the dilema of belonging in two countries at the same time as not belonging in either one of them.
It was well written, the story was exiting and had some nice twists.
I really felt the terror, hope and confusion going on in Rumania in the 70's while reading about Mona and her life there. And her life in America really captured the dilema of belonging in two countries at the same time as not belonging in either one of them.
It was well written, the story was exiting and had some nice twists.
This is really a 3 1/2. The story of a Romanian woman's immigration to the US in the 1980's, leaving behind a lover and her parents. She left because of political problems in Romania. Reads like an autobiography, and indeed, the author did immigrate from Romania. Lovely descriptions of Romania, a country I know nothing about.
The story of a young girl who escapes Communist Romania and makes her way to italy, and eventually to Chicago. The main character is not very warm or likable, and some of the situations seem contrived, but the author describes well the hardships endured by Romanians under their oppressive and ever-watchful former government.
This book was just beautiful! It was well written and descriptive without being overly wordy. It flowed like poetry and made me feel the sadness of loving and mourning a country in such turmoil. This book is 100% about the journey not the beginning or the end. I could not put it down.
I have mixed reveiws of this book.
One one hand, the plot is very interesting and I like the historical aspect of the plot.
On the other hand, the writing seems juvenile and sub par for an adult. I am trying to keep in mind that English is not the authors first language.
One one hand, the plot is very interesting and I like the historical aspect of the plot.
On the other hand, the writing seems juvenile and sub par for an adult. I am trying to keep in mind that English is not the authors first language.
Apr 25, 2009
Nicole
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who has a poetic view
Recommended to Nicole by:
my mom
This was poetic, evocative, passionate and filled with longing. I learned about a time and place I knew very little about (1970's Romania) without feeling as if dry facts were being crammed down my throat. One of the best books I have read in a long time.
I listened to this on audio, and the narator really added to the experience. It was quite interesting reading about the Romania during the communist time, and the experience of one who escaped. However, I found the ending quite unsatisfactory.
This is a horrific mystical fairytale. Every word the author wrote was beautifully chosen but I did find it seemed to skip over certain subjects. Feelings were a big part for me. I felt so disconnected from Mona and how she was feeling throughout the whole tale. I really liked the plot line it was a true love story and was really easy to get into.
Started out really strong and engaging but then lost the urgency and attentions to detail towards the end that left the story somewhat unraveled and lost. Overall an interesting narrative and good read.
Radulescu conveys well what it is like to live in an environment of paranoia--with all relationships being affected by it. I couldn't relate as well to Mona's longings for the home she lost.
Fresh, full of sounds and colors , nostalgia, sensitivity.A symbolic train, the symbolism referring to freedom. Not the freedom we enjoy through democracy, but through self-esteem.
This was a really well written book. I finished it in 1 day. A love story, a story of immigration and of coming of age. I found it compelling to read and it sucked me in instantly.
I was mainly interested in this book because it had a Romanian protagonist, living in Romania during the rule of Ceaușescu. And since I've never seen a fictional book about my father and mother's homeland (I've never searched before), I decided to read it. I liked it well enough, though the tense of writing really started to annoy me. It was written in a past tense, and, like people have said, the style was somewhat fragmented in sentence structure. And near the end it started to putter out, and...more
Growing up under the Ceausescu dictatorship, a talented young woman is caught up in suspicion, secrets, and a desire to escape. It's a great story on history defines our lives.
I enjoyed this book. The writing was rich with words and pictures. The story was gripping and told from the first person which really kept it very personal. Fascinating look at communist Romania and the life of a refugee.
I loved this book. It is a gorgeously written love story set in Romania during the time of Chowcesco (I listened to it on CD so I don't know how to spell his name)
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Feb 24, 2009 08:45am
Dec 29, 2012 02:56am