Alexandra Bogdanovic's Blog: That's life... - Posts Tagged "communism"

I´ve come to the conclusion that I´m definitely a glutton for punishment.
As if writing and marketing one book isn´t enough. I´ve decided to write another one. In fact, I´ve just started the research for the book that will be based on my father´s life as a staunch anti-Communist and political refugee in post-World War II Europe.
As you can imagine, the research will involve extensive travel and quite a bit of digging. The hardest part will probably be dredging up a lot of painful memories, but I should be used to that by now.
I honestly wish I could tell you more -- but I don´t want to put the proverbial cart before the equally proverbial horse. But I can tell you this. My father´s family was fairly influential in the former Yugoslavia. A lot of people didn´t like that - and a lot of people certainly didn´t appreciate him monitoring national elections for certain wetern bloc country(ies). The rest, as they say, is history... So stay tuned!
Until next time,¨That´s Life...¨

So this may well be a first.
In all of the time I've been blogging here on goodreads.com, I've never done a post specifically pertaining to other authors or their work.
Yet as I read "A Lumious Future" by Teodor Flonta, I can't help but reflect on the life experiences he documents and my own. You see, we grew up in different countries at different times. But we also have something significant in common, and that's our eastern European heritage.
My blood boils as I read about the hardships young Teodor and his family endured. I cry when I think about the injustices perpetrated on Teodor and his family by the Communist regime in the guise of creating a "luminous future."
But it doesn't surprise me. As a little girl growing up in the United States, I learned all about Communism. I learned about it from my dad, a staunch anti-Communist who fled the former Yugoslavia as a political refugee. I also learned to appreciate being born in a free country. I learned to take nothing for granted. I never will.
Until next time, "That's life..."

It happens to every author. Somewhere in the writing process you hit a bump in the road.
For me, writing my second book is especially challenging because my dad died a long time ago. A lot of his friends -- people who knew what happened to him in the former Yugoslavia -- have passed away as well. So, as I mentioned last week, I am left with my imagination... and a few family legends.
I've done a lot of research in order to try and fill in the blanks. I've been to Belgrade. And with my mother's help I have found some of my father's personal effects. At some point soon I will start to go through some more.
In the meantime, as I also mentioned last week, I started my rough draft. Writing as much as time allows, I've written approximately 6,000 words or 14 single-spaced pages (give or take a few words or a page or two).
With the creative process well underway, I plan on continuing my research as it continues. That includes reading as much about Serbia as I can get my hands on.
I just finished the first book on the stack -- a novel called The Mole Men by Negovan Rajic. Born in Belgrade in 1923, the author was just one year younger than my father. The book -- a fantasy -- was about a man who faced government persecution after learning a closely-guarded secret and then trying to share the truth.
In a photocopied excerpt from Contemporary Authors, Volume 130 tucked inside our copy of the novel, Rajic said:
"The materials for my fiction come from my life experiences and the personal stories friends tell me. My stories come as a revolt against the official picture of history as presented by totalitarian powers, who often distorted facts. I believe in the power of the word to transmit human experiences and perceptions. I stand for freedom as the point of departure for any kind of progress, both material and spiritual."
The book is disturbing, provocative and intriguing. It is a must-read for anyone and everyone who takes freedom for granted.
I told my mother as much when she asked me if it was interesting.
"It was written by a friend of your father's," she said.
The plot thickens.
Until next time, "That's life..."