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Echo of the Past

by Polina Roussou

225 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #05-1902; ISBN 1-4120-6991-2; US$22.50, C$25.87, EUR18.48, £12.94

The world crashed around her. Her mind refused to accept the truth that she had been so happy with a man she had known nothing about.

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About the Book

About the Author

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About the Book

Echo of the Past follows the lives of a family of doctors during 1910-1980 and the consequences the events of these times have on their relationships. The story begins when a notable Russian physician from Moscow decides to send his son, Henry, to study medicine in Germany. The new life in Berlin captivates the young man and he falls in love with the country and its people. The suddenness of WWI makes his situation extremely complicated: he can't fight his own people, nor can he fight the people whom he had befriended in Germany. And above all, he is in love with Elzie. He will never leave her! A vacancy at Dr Kurt's Microbiology laboratory opens a new and exciting career for Henry to become a medical researcher. He stays in Berlin and marries Elzie. The political events of 1914 -1924 in Europe and Russia separate Henry from his parents for many years with no contact. His numerous attempts to find them fail. Unexpectedly, he receives a letter from a friend of his childhood telling him that his elderly parents are alive. He goes to Russia for a few days in the hope to bring them to Germany. But he never comes back... A love that was interrupted by the war brings forth a tragedy that has far reaching consequences. The book describes how the political situation that develops between Russia and Germany in the following years has disastrous repercussions for the citizens of both countries.

The twisting plot masterfully creates an underlying sense of mystery to reveal how the pent up passions of individuals, caught in the devastation of a war ravaged Europe, must face the often cruel hand of serendipity. It is a well created story that weaves itself through a bygone era to resonate with universal truths and astonishing realizations. You may want to read it twice. M.J.Bedewi, Writer.

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About the Author

Born in Moldova, Polina Roussou was educated in Chisinau University and Tiraspol Institute of Pedagogy. She started writing poems and short stories in her youth. Her narratives are about love, war and human relationships. One of her short stories, Two Days with My Father, was published in Melbourne, 2000. Echo of the Past, Polina's first novel, is an exciting and touching story about the deepest of human qualities that emerge in extreme situations, from romance to tragedy. The book gives a thoughtful insight into the way of life under the political regimes of Hitler and Stalin and the emotional turmoil both regimes have fostered. The book leads the reader into reflections about the destructive nature of war and the necessity for peace throughout all nations of the world. Polina lives in Melbourne with her husband, Caesar.

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Catalogue Information

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