When Liviu's brother defects to the West, he and his wife Alina are hounded by the Romanian Communist authorities. We are in the 1970s, at the height of the Cold War, and not even well-connected Aunt Theresa, who practices the forbidden old folk ways even whilst her son works for the regime, can save Alina and Liviu from the unwelcome attentions of the Secret Police. The constant danger blights a relationship which could, and should, have been a special one.

Totalitarian rule casts a shadow on the history of the last century. Bottled Goods is neither the first nor the last novel to be inspired by the horrors of authoritarian governments. What distinguishes this novel from many others is its stylistic and narrative approach.

It is, first of all, a "novel-in-flash" - written in the form of short interrelated vignettes which can, and in some cases have, been published as standalone pieces. Moreover, the narrative sometimes wanders into the territory of magical realism. These flights of whimsy give the novel a light touch, even whilst it's presenting us with the terror of a communist regime and its tragic impact on ordinary lives. The novel is permeated with a sense of fear and dread, yet the pill is sweetened by the fairytale narrative.

This is an original début from a distinctive literary voice. ( )

When Liviu's brother defects to the West, he and his wife Alina are hounded by the Romanian Communist authorities. We are in the 1970s, at the height of the Cold War, and not even well-connected Aunt Theresa, who practices the forbidden old folk ways even whilst her son works for the regime, can save Alina and Liviu from the unwelcome attentions of the Secret Police. The constant danger blights a relationship which could, and should, have been a special one.

Totalitarian rule casts a shadow on the history of the last century. Bottled Goods is neither the first nor the last novel to be inspired by the horrors of authoritarian governments. What distinguishes this novel from many others is its stylistic and narrative approach.

It is, first of all, a "novel-in-flash" - written in the form of short interrelated vignettes which can, and in some cases have, been published as standalone pieces. Moreover, the narrative sometimes wanders into the territory of magical realism. These flights of whimsy give the novel a light touch, even whilst it's presenting us with the terror of a communist regime and its tragic impact on ordinary lives. The novel is permeated with a sense of fear and dread, yet the pill is sweetened by the fairytale narrative.

This is an original début from a distinctive literary voice. ( )

*If you attempt any political comments, think again. You can’t win an argument with me, thank you.’’

‘’Twenty years later, an icon of the Saviour will hang in this spot, but in 1975, it’s Ceaușescu’s depiction that the children must revere.’’

Alina and Liviu, a young married couple, have the dreadful misfortune of living in a country oppressed and vilified by the Beloved Leader, Νicolae Ceaușescu, one of the many ‘’Beloved Leaders’’ born out of one of the darkest periods in History. Romania, 1970s. The citizens of the beautiful, mystical country, a land so rich in traditions and folklore, live their lives in the shadow of a monster who sprang out of the Soviet Union, one of the worst oppressors in the Balkan region. When Alina’s brother-in-law manages to escape the nightmare by defecting, she and her husband become personae non gratae for their families and their colleagues, for the whole nation. Having lost hope and with her whole world shuttered, Alina’s only refuge seems to be her beloved aunt, a woman born from the tradition of Romania, a woman of magic, faith and all the values that any totalitarian state aims to massacre. This is the background of this beautiful, haunting novel by Sophie van Llewyn.

‘’Please make me a child again. A teenager. A student. A girl who hasn’t lost her father yet or her romantic views concerning the world, poverty, kindness, a parent’s love.’’

Sophie van Llewyn succeeds in creating a story from a beautiful union between Historical Fiction and Magical Realism. While the troubles of Alina couldn’t have been more heart wrenching, the writing has a whimsical, poetic quality that manages to lend a fairytale atmosphere to a bleak, painful story. The examples of van Llewyn’s talent are many throughout Bottled Goods. Dear Father Frost is an extremely emotional chapter from which the quote above this paragraph was chosen. How to Attract (Unwanted) Attention from the Communist Authorities is a brilliant chapter of bitter metaphors on the uncountable reasons for a citizen’s persecution in a society and a reality that makes 1984 seem like a walk in the park during the spring. Alina is a teacher, a ‘’comrade teacher’’ (such a scary phrase…) and a mathematical genius that is being forced to spy on her students. Even though she refuses to do so, we’re witnessing the ultimate corruption of a society, the vilification of children who are turned into either traitors or suspects. A regime that forces good people into cruelty towards the young ones. Otherwise your survival and the future of your family are at stake.

Persecution, isolation, torchure, despair. Everyone abandons you in fear of their lives because to be seen with a supposed ‘’rebel’’ means you are one of the ‘’enemies of the state’’. Your job is at risk, you are ostracized and watched, despised by your own mother, neglected, your relationship collapsing under the heaviest weight. Your ‘’comrades’’ can’t wait for the chance to turn you over to the ‘’authorities’’ to save their skin, to appear as ‘’devoted citizens’’ of a puppet state. ‘’Comrade’’...I hate this word so much...A word that should signify support and companionship became a sugar-coated word for tyranny and the subjects of an inhuman, savage universe. I remember the ‘’students’’ during my university years. We used to call them the ‘’eternal, unwashed fints’’. The ones who always tried to prevent us from attending our lessons, victims of their imaginary universe. My, I had such good fights with that lot. I mean, they may believe whatever they want but trying to force me to follow your ways will end with them in the police station...Once I threw a volume of the Norton Anthology on the head of such a ‘’comrade’’because they wanted to force our professor to leave the classroom. I never felt happier in my life…

In terms of characters, Alina gave me some trouble, to be honest. She is a bit too timid. And I’m not referring to her attitude towards the men who move the cogwheels of the dictatorship but towards her beast of a mother and her idiot of a husband. Aunt Theresa is the queen in the story. Her spells, potions and prayers seem the only way out of a life that consumes every inch of Alina’s strength and hope. Saint Friday was also a brilliant, sassy presence. Liviu was… best not mention really…

Bottled Goods is magical, haunting, powerful, memorable. An exceptional little treasure, a book that will give you a plethora of strong feelings and bleak images. Personally, it made me feel grateful that I live in a democratic continent despite the problems and the difficulties.

‘’We will be visiting a special shop for tourists now. You can find western products there, if you miss them. I am not allowed to come in with you.’’

Many thanks to Fairlight Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com ( )

https://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2018/09/201858-bottled-goods-sophie-van-llewyn.ht... ( )

3.5 stars. I am really not a fan of magical realism--if you are, this book is for you!

This is a "novella-in-flash", and I don't really know what that means. I am guessing short chapters/snippets, rather than an extended narrative. A legitimate way to tell a story, but I don't really get the marketing push--my next netgalley book is also "flash"!
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In this novella we follow Alina, from young single tour guide to married elementary teacher--a job she hates--in communist Romania. She does not have a great relationship with her mother (a die-hard communist), and she and her husband are struggling under the weight of his brother's defection to the west, which puts additional scrutiny on them. By the end of the novella, Alina is 50-something.

The author grew up in Romania, though I think she is probably too young to remember life before the 1989 revolution. She undoubtedly has heard a whole lot about it, and this novella has various Romanian foods mentioned and explained. So even though I did not love the magical realism aspects of the book (which is something of the foundation of the story), I very much enjoyed the Romanian flavor.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Fairlight Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )