“ MY TRANSYLVANIA, homeland to Vlad, the Impaler, suffered a brutal heritage that was perhaps reborn in the Communist dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu,” says author Aura Imbarus. “My once serene and beautiful country became the land of the undead. As if Count Dracula had enslaved us, sucking our lifeblood away, Ceausescu turned Romanians into gray-clad zombies close to starvation who waited in long lines and never dared to call attention to themselves or show individuality in any way.” To escape torture and death, neighbors became informants, and the Securitate, the Romanian security force, made people quietly disappear during the night—including Aura’s family members—as if vampires had sneaked inside.
Yet Aura dared to be herself. As a standout, an individualist, an overachiever, a rebel, a fashionista, a scholar, and proud heiress to land and wealth that had been confiscated by the communists, Aura waged small wars every day.
Christmas shopping on December 21, 1989, Aura, her parents, and hundreds of shoppers drew sudden sniper fire as Romania descended into the violence of a revolution that challenged one of the most draconian regimes in the Soviet bloc. A grisly execution that rocked the world led to five harrowing days of bloody chaos as Aura and her family struggled to survive.
Sadly, the new regime remained corrupt and controlling. Though Aura fell in love and carved out a life envied by other Romanians, a fierce sense of independence made her yearn for something more. What did success mean if she couldn’t feel free?
Aura and Michael, her newlywed husband, fled a homeland still in chaos. With only $400, two pieces of luggage, and a powerful dream, they settled in Los Angeles in 1997.
But Aura soon realizes that even in the darkest days of her experiences in Transylvania, she had come through it; she had found her way to the light. And so their love story did live on. Their memories of living in a country at war and of the darkest days of their horrendous circumstances would reunite them, this time with a better understanding of themselves—and of the personal freedoms they would, or wouldn’t, give up in exchange for their love.
OUT OF THE TRANSYLVANIA NIGHT explores tyranny and freedom, love, success, and the price paid for misaligned dreams in an epic tale of identity and the human spirit. It is a deftly woven narrative about finding greater meaning and fulfillment in a free world, and an exploration of how social issues affect the human spirit. An incredibly powerful memoir.
Aura Imbarus is an educator, professional speaker, and the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, Out of the Transylvania Night: A Story of Tyranny, Freedom, Love and Identity, and a book for teens, 101 Great Ways to Make the World a Totally Awesome Place - By Teens For Teens, both fall 2010 releases.
Born and raised in Sibiu/Hermannstadt, Romania, or more precisely in “Dracula’s county Transylvania," Ms. Imbarus attended Lucian Blaga University, earning an MA degree in American and British Studies and a Ph.D. in Philology with the distinction Cum Laude. From 1990 to 1997, she worked as a journalist for Radio Contact, The National Journal, and Gallup Poll in Sibiu, Romania.
In 1997, Aura immigrated to Los Angeles, where she continued her education at UCLA and began her teaching career both as a high school and college professor. She spends her mornings at West High School, a designated California Distinguished School in 1984, 1994, 1999, 2005, receiver of the Excellence in Education Award from the United States Department of Education in 1984, and nationally awarded Blue Ribbon School distinction in 1984, and her nights at LA Harbor College and El Camino College in South Bay.
Aura is actively involved in RAPN (Romanian American Professional Network) as well as Eurocircle, a professional networking organization with over 60,000 members of European origins. She is also a mentor for Blue Heron Foundation, a non-profit and professional organization whose mission is to help Romanian orphans in her native country with money and counseling in order to receive a higher education degree. Aura is also a member of MLA- Modern Language Association, NCTE- National Council of Teachers of English, NEA- National Education Association, and many others. Other interests include: reading, painting, skiing, ice-skating, hiking, beach volleyball, and traveling the world.
“I want to live life to the fullest," says Aura, "and in the process, to help others along the way. I want to squeeze out each and every moment of life, and use to the maximum. Every day has the potential of a lifetime."
My Take on the Book
This book was a quick and easy read, and as a person who heard the stories of immigrants in my own family in the past this story hit home. I also know a number of Romanians and have heard the stories that they have shared about the devestation of their country and the oppression that they felt while there. This book encapsulates all of these stories into one. The story is heart-felt and carries you into the country and allows you to live the expperiences of the author.
A very well written story, and one that you will not want to miss!
If this book sounds like something you would like in your own library you can find it on Amazon!
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