From Publishers Weekly
Filmmaker and first-time novelist Ward transplants a shiny, young California couple to the grim, fledgling democratic Bulgarian capital of Sofia to scrutinize their wilting affections in this brave though somewhat spotty romantic saga. Through flashbacks and e-mail exchanges with friends in Los Angeles, the sad tale of 29-year-old film agent June Carver emerges: she has left her glamorous work to join Ethan, her husband of eight years, who is in Sofia to research a scholarly book on Bulgarian mores. June rashly confesses to a brief infidelity while Ethan was traveling, and he reacts by immediately taking up with Nevena, a 22-year-old Bulgarian maid he's had his eye on. June, who has never had to fend for herself, then falls for Chavdar, a suave, shady businessman (he doesn't carry a gun, but his five bodyguards do) who strong-arms her into an affair, then secures for her a new apartment and job through his mafia contacts. While Ethan and the impoverished, Muslim-born Nevena are traveling the bleak, dangerous countryside gathering research for his project and June is being lavishly feted and drugged by Chavdar, the country's economy collapses and the forces of democracy demand change. Through exemplary characters that represent the various factions, Ward offers a convincing if sometimes academic explanation of Balkan life in the late 1990s, though her core story is less satisfying. In the end, June and Ethan seem utterly ill-suited, especially after their respective unsavory choices in lovers, and their brash, plucky Americanism grates against the lusterless backdrop of Balkan severity. This novel offers a curious, original choice of setting for a love story, and Ward renders it with skill.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In 1996, June Carver, a successful young L.A. film production assistant, drops everything to follow academically gifted husband Ethan to Bulgaria, where he will work on his Ph.D. Shortly after their arrival, June transgresses, setting in motion a Dickensian tale of broken hearts, rearranged lives, and wrenchingly bad timing, all of which derails the Carvers' marriage and thrusts them into the arms of others. Ethan's new love, Nevena, a 22-year-old Bulgarian maid, comes with her own hellish vortex of tragedy. Travel journalist/filmmaker Ward adds into this mix of disastrous human relationships June's dangerous liaison with obsessive lover Chavdar, who drags her into the seamy Bulgarian Mafia power structure. Set in the roiling depths of Balkan political upheaval fueled by desperate poverty clashing with the outrageous excesses of dirty wealth, Ward's debut packs plenty of authentic wallops. Armchair readers can safely venture into this little-known part of the world while peeking into the hearts of characters seeking a balance between their flaws and their redemptive humanity. Highly recommended. Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
