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Title: Country of Red Azaleas
Author: Domnica Radulescu
Narrator: Yelena Shmulenson
Format: Unabridged
Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
Language: English
Release date: 04-05-16
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher's Summary:
A riveting novel about two women - one Serbian, one Bosnian - whose deep friendship spans decades and continents, war and peace, love and estrangement, in the vein of Elena Ferrante and Julia Alvarez.
From the moment Marija walks into Lara's classroom, freshly moved to Serbia from Sarajevo, Lara is enchanted by her vibrant beauty, confidence, and wild energy - and knows that the two are destined to be lifelong friends. Closer than sisters, the girls share everything, from stolen fruit and Hollywood movies as girls to philosophies and even lovers as young women. But when the Bosnian War pits their homelands against each other in a bloodbath, Lara and Marija are forced to separate for the first time: Romantic Lara heads to America with her Hollywood-handsome new husband, and fierce Marija returns to her native Sarajevo to combat the war through journalism behind Bosnian lines.
In America, Lara seeks fulfillment through work and family, but when news from Marija ceases, the uncertainty torments Lara, driving her on a quest to find her friend. As Lara travels through war-torn Serbia and Bosnia, following clues that may yet lead to the flesh-and-blood Marija, she must also wrestle with truths about her own identity.
Told in lush, vivid prose, Country of Red Azaleas is a poignant testament to both the power of friendship and our ability to find meaning and beauty in the face of devastation.
Critic Reviews:
"This exquisite novel celebrates the bonds of female friendship and the spirit of women's resilience and self-invention. A riveting and beautifully written novel, Country of Red Azaleas sheds light on our transcendent human connections in the face of war, exile, and displacement." (Jasmin Darznik, New York Times best-selling author of The Good Daughter)
"Country of Red Azaleas testifies to the resilience of women's friendships in the aftermath of one of the late 20th-century's most horrific conflicts. Well-developed, complex characters, an opulent style, ironic humor, an exotic background brought to life on the page, all contribute to a moving, spellbinding tale of love and survival." (Linda Rodriguez, author of Every Hidden Fear and finalist for the International Latino Book Award)
"A moving portrait of humanity's best overcoming humanity's worst." (Kirkus Reviews)
Members Reviews:
This is a beautifully written story of friendship
This is a beautifully written story of friendship, love and survival. Despite incredibly difficult events, hope never dies - it is constantly rekindled at every twist and turn throughout the plot. The reader is left with a renewed faith in what we are capable of achieving just with our inner resources: we can change, build or rebuild almost everything in our lives. It is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it.
love, loss
Saw the reviews and decided to see for myself. To me the author braided together a tale of youthful ambition, war, love, loss, regret, and human need to find closure. The writing seemed fluid and unforced with the ability to maintain a thread that kept me wondering the next turn in these two woman's lives.
Five Stars
The book was very moving and kept my interest from start to finish.
Moving war story told through the eyes of survivors
The horrifying tales of the Bosnia war and genocide in the 1990s, and the resulting war crimes trials of Serbian officials, were well covered in the media of the time.
