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Long Shadows Of War

by Eugene Grecu

373 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #06-1743; ISBN 1-4120-9986-2; US$26.95, C$30.99, EUR22.14, £15.50

A gripping tale of survival behind enemy lines in WWII, of anticommunist resistance in post-war Romania, of shattered lives and defection, of love and loss, and of triumph of the human spirit.

About the Book

This work of fiction, inspired by the effects of WWII and its aftermath on the people of Romania, develops as two stories in alternate chapters, which – as the plots evolve – gradually fuse.

In one of the stories, George – a lieutenant in the Romanian Army fighting on the eastern front in 1942 – is trapped behind enemy lines; out of necessity he joins a Ukrainian Nationalist partisan group, and together they match wits with the ruthless NKVD. Returning home in 1945, George joins the Romanian resistance movement against the Soviet occupation and the emerging Communist Dictatorship imposed by the occupiers. Relentlessly pursued by the State Security agents, he is forced to flee his country. In the U.S.A, he continues his struggle against Communism and his old archenemy, Col. Vlasov – now a high-ranking KGB agent.

The protagonist of the second story is Dan – George’s unsuspecting son – a young Romanian physician compelled by circumstances to defect to the West. The complex drama of defection is brought to the fore. Along the way he encounters challenges and dangers, love and tragedy.

As the two stories converge, the father and son are gradually brought closer together in the U.S.A., on the background of the intensified Cold War. In a heart-breaking, dramatic finale, the unfulfilled reunion of the two protagonists is mitigated by wisdom and acceptance, and by the ultimate triumph of the human spirit.

Reviews

Written by Romanian-born physician Eugene Grecu, Long Shadows of War is a novel set in Romania during the dark days of World War II, followed by Communist oppression so severe it sparks resistance, and later, defection. Based heavily upon the author's personal experiences growing up in Romania as well as the stories of survivors and other resources, Long Shadows of War is a fast-paced saga of human clashes, suffering, love, loss, guilt, and the rekindling of hope within the spirit. An intensely personal narrative that comes alive with feeling, immersing the reader in history itself.

Midwest Book Review, 2007.

About the Author

Eugene Grecu is a physician born and educated in Romania, who - in an open act of protest against the Communist Dictatorship suffocating his country - defected to the West in 1973. A year later he began practicing his profession in the U.S.A.

This novel is based on a large body of information and personal experiences accumulated during his formative years in Romania and, later on - after his defection - abroad.

He now lives with his wife and their Golden Retriever on the Southern Oregon Coast.

Excerpts