My Sunday Book Review is for Ellis Shuman’s – Rakiya: Stories of Bulgaria. Ellis Shuman is an American-born Israeli author, travel writer, and book reviewer who also lived in Bulgaria for two years. Shuman’s books always contain rich settings, and his stories and books all take place in Israel or Bulgaria – or both, as in this wonderfully descript book of short stories encompassing the human condition. I re-connected with this author friend I’d lost touch with and he sent me a copy of his brand new release. The book is currently on pre-order and goes live tomorrow.

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Blurb:

A mother pickpocketing tourists in order to support her daughter. An elderly war veteran ashamed of his actions during the Holocaust. Two brothers hunting a killer bear. A Syrian refugee working in a Sofia bakery. A femme fatale disappearing at an international writers’ conference. And two neighbors competing to see who makes the best alcoholic drink.

This collection of heartwarming and culturally illuminating stories introduces readers to Bulgaria—its majestic mountains; picturesque villages; and rich history and traditions—and leaves them wanting more.

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My 5 Star Review:

These short stories were a delight to read. Stories about everyday people and incidents in life and the rich culture of Bulgaria is woven in through all the stories, taking place in various locales in Bulgaria. I enjoyed every story. The author has an engaging writing style which takes us along story as though we are there watching and listening with his rich and descript settings and characters. Some stories are heartfelt, and others leave you thinking. But all of them bring in the human condition of people of circumstance. Some of my favorites:

The Cave – A young man leads a tour in an ancient cave and is challenged by one of the tourists about his knowledge of the folklore that went with the cave, to the point of becoming irritating. By the end of the tour, the irritating tourist disappeared into the ethers. Or did he?

Rakiya – is the first story in this charming book. Rakiya is a traditional alcoholic beverage in Bulgaria. In this story, two old villagers are getting all excited for the annual Rakiya contest – home made alcoholic Bulgarian beverage competition. Among the comraderie in this event, we learn about how far some will go to win. We will also find Rakiya in all of the stories which follow.

Sozopol – David is in Bulgaria for a writer’s conference and meets up with an elusive woman who envies his work. She follows him back to the hotel he’s staying at, and the last thing he can remember was sitting with the woman at the bar she waited for him at in his hotel. David blacked out from too much Rakiya and thought nothing else of the mystery, until the woman is found dead. And then suddenly, plot twist!

The Bakery – Two Syrian emigrated brothers run a bakery in Sofia, which becomes quite popular with the community of mixed cultures. We’ll learn about the brother’s plan to emigrate to Bulgaria to make a better life, and their ultimate plan to move on to Sweden.

Forgiveness – This was probably my favorite story. This story is based on historical fiction with much research that has gone into the story. The story begins with an email. Anna is trying to find Avraham for her grandfather Aleksandar. She finds his grandson in Israel and makes a request for him to come to Bulgaria because her grandfather has some letters to give him. Communistic Bulgaria was the only country in WWII that the Nazis occupied, and not one Jew was taken for extermination, despite them taken to labor camps. Aleksandar’s one letter in response to Avraham’s many through the years, gives us a detailed telling of what transpired in those war years in Bulgaria.These grandfathers were best friends from childhood who lost touch when war came. Their cultural and religious differences led them both to having two very different lives when war broke out, as Avraham was a Jew and Aleksandar was not.

Shuman’s stories about everyday people, precarious situations and well-rounded characters are sure to appeal to readers who enjoy learning culture of other countries, as well as those who enjoy reading stories with the spirit of human compassion.

©DGKaye2024