About this item
Spanning nearly a century, from 1930s Siberia to contemporary Brighton Beach, a page turning, epic family saga centering on three generations of women in one Russian Jewish family -- each striving to break free of fate and history, each yearning for love and personal fulfillment -- and how the consequences of their choices ripple through time.Odessa, 1931. Marrying the handsome, wealthy Edward Gordon, Daria -- born Dvora Kaganovitch -- has fulfilled her mother's dreams. But a woman's plans are no match for the crushing power of Stalin's repressive Soviet state. To survive, Daria is forced to rely on the kindness of a man who takes pride in his own coarseness.Odessa, 1970. Brilliant young Natasha Crystal is determined to study mathematics. But the Soviets do not allow Jewish students -- even those as brilliant as Natasha -- to attend an institute as prestigious as Odessa University.
About the Author
My first book, "The Fictitious Marquis," came out in June of 1995. Twenty years later, I figure it's time to shake things up a little.For 20 years, I've heard lots of advice about how to become a successful author. I am now about to throw it all out the window.#1) Never let anyone see anything but your very, very best work.After 20 years and over a dozen published books, I am writing my next romance novel live online at: www.AlinaAdams.com/live. Readers can follow along with my every key-stroke, see my typos, my mistakes, my clunky prose and my plot dead ends that I delete the next day. They can watch me edit, and they can offer their own suggestions. Along the way, I hope everyone gets a better idea of what it's like to write a book from start to finish. (It's not magic, and it's not divine inspiration. It's simply hard work, even on days when you don't feel like it. Especially on days when you don't feel like it.) #2) Stick to one genre so you can build an audience.I've written romance novels, figure skating mysteries, family sagas, and now a non-fiction book about the trials and tribulations of getting into Kindergarten in NYC. (It costs $9.99 and is geared for all those parents who can't afford a $10,000 private consultant. Yes, people do hire them. To get their kids into Kindergarten.) #3) Don't try anything too radical that readers won't understand.A few years ago, I took my traditionally published figure-skating mystery novels and turned them into enhanced ebooks, with video from the Ice Theatre of NY embedded alongside the story. People still aren't sure what to make of them. Think of it as a book and movie in one. Why just read about figure-skating, after all, when you can actually see the routines described!How will all this rule-breaking turn out? I don't know... you tell me!
