Customer Reviews

Parting the Curtain: An American Teacher in Postcommunist Romania

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In December 1989, the Romanian people overthrew their communist dictator. He left behind a country with no democratic tradition, an economy in ruins, and corrupt ex-communists still in charge. Two years later the author met Radu, the head of a Romanian university, at a meeting in Washington DC. He invited her to come to his country as a teacher. She accepted his invitation that day and with good language skills but no knowledge of Romanian made her plans to live and teach in Timisoara. Within six weeks of her arrival, her sponsor Radu was ousted in a rigged election, leaving her to survive on her wits. This book tells of her survival and seven years of teaching, with only brief return visits to the US. Ostensibly she taught English but informally she also taught democracy and business ethics. She also learnt to love the Romanian people. In turn they adored her.

This short book, one hundred pages of sparkling prose, is almost impossible to put down. It captures both the squalor of a post-Stalinist country but also the charm of its citizens, their curiosity about the West, their great performances of classical music, their food ranging from awful in the hotel to simple but delightful in private homes. Above all it is an account of a US citizen who acted as an unoffical ambassador for our country. Would that all our official ambassadors could meet her standards.

For awhile, I will tend to ruminate on the stories Ms. Heyniger has brought back from Romania. She portrays a fertile land ravaged by industry. Mixed with her astute observations of political mismanagement are delightful vignettes of the people she grew to love.

Thanks to the author showing the Romanians that Americans can be caring yet vulnerable; like them. The joy she expressed from her time in Romanian is surely a result of her helpful accomplishments with the people that she taught. The stories she offers show how enjoyable her lessons must have been for her students; which include me after reading "Parting the Curtain".

We should be warned by the Romanian experience that, when we have cut down all the trees to suck the last drop of oil from the earth, we will need to huddle together against the cold and eat our pets. Industry and agriculture must be carefully managed with an eye to the future. Can we think of other nations or regions within nations that are like Romania?