Waltz With the Wind [Paperback]

Kristina O'Donnelly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000

Review: "This story of a mother's life drawn in the signature of her daughter, is a rare treasure of authorship containing feminine insight of a woman's inner thoughts. Both the burdens and victories that happen when following the longings of the heart are embraced as the Vienna, Austria, born heroine, Lilliana, balances her feelings between the man she loves, and the father of her daughter." Stan Starbuck, Artist, WI, USA. http://www.eyebalm.com

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

I wrote Waltz With The Wind in memory of my mother, Kristina Geraldine von Landeck, for her endless love, gallantry and optimism... Born in Vienna, Austria, during the last months of World War I, lost both parents while only four days old, Kristina Geraldine passed on into the light on February 14, Valentine's Day, 1993, in Florida, USA. In her memory, I salute all the mothers who in the end, had only their children's love to comfort them as they floated up into God's embrace. 'til we meet again, beloved Mama, Waltz With The Wind!

About the Author

Born in Rome Italy from an Viennese opera singer mother and Albanian freedom-fighter father, Karina was raised in Istanbul, Turkey. She was an actor, model, poet, and journalist. She has traveled extensively and now has made her home in Florida, USA.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Rose International Publishing House, Inc. (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930574185
• ISBN-13: 978-1930574182
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,245,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Vita aka Kristina aka Karina, nicknamed A Lady For All Seasons, was an actress as well as an author and journalist, and more photos of her stormy, globe-trotting, universe-tripping life, can be found at www.ladyliterature.com

Kismet seems to have decreed that author editor journalist VITA KRISTINA O'DONNELLY, aka Vita Vendresha and Karina di Cuore, should lead a globe-trotting, multi-cultural, chameleon-life wrought with romance and drama, and thus end up writing thought-provoking exotic novels. Her odyssey began with her birth in Rome, Italy, after the Second World War. Her father Sami Alberto, aka David Vendresha, was a freedom-fighter, journalist and editor, and her Austrian mother Geraldine von Landeck, an opera singer and his best comrade-in-ideals.

Having met in Vienna, Austria during the raging fires of the Second World War, and married in Prague, Czechoslovakia, David and Geraldine then settled in Rome, Italy, at the end of the war, and Kristina was born 2 years later. A short while after, due to political persecution, the threesome had to leave Italy and settled in Turkey.

Growing up in Istanbul, in the 1960s, Kristina fell in love with Turkey and her gallant people. She was a child film-star and later a poet and a journalist and published a daily column in the major Istanbul daily. A die-hard romantic and idealist imbued with a can-do, will-do spirit, she strove to the best of her abilities to champion the rights of the down-trodden. At the age of 17, she defied her parents, eloped and married a 44-year old Turkish artist, who had convinced her that he shared her inclinations. The the union produced a much beloved son, Faik Kurt. However, the April-December marriage of an artist and writer, was soon confronted by the realities of life and sunk in stormy seas.

Six years later, Kristina had no choice but to leave, under traumatic circumstances.

After her arrival in New York, she restarted her life virtually from point zero. Although fluent in German, Turkish, Italian, her English could be termed at best "pidgin,' and her experience as an artist, writer and journalist, counted naught in the New World - and walking a road inlaid with razor-blades, she worked as a 24/7 maid, cook, window-cleaner, hair-stylist, door-to-door delivery person, and later on as a real estate sales person.

Few years later, Kristina married her soul-mate, blue-eyed Hibernian, Michael O'Donnelly (which led her to travel throughout Ireland and thus causing her to fall in love with the Irish people as well).

In time she moved up to be employed for the New York Daily News as an advertising rep., and then trailblazed as a newspaper union officer (The Newspaper Guild of America). Not surprisingly, her experiences in this electric environment inspired her to write the contemporary novel, Ride the Eagle (originally published by Worldwide Library; 2nd publishing by Rose International Publishing House). Readers called this novel "... a piece of Americana and a celebration of idealism." Ride the Eagle was sold in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, England, Spain, and Australia. (In May of 2003, Ride the Eagle, retitled as Sevgili Dusmanim (Beloved Enemy) was published in Turkey, by Epsilon Publishing House.)This was followed by the Turkish translation of The Scorpion Child, retitled as Sonsuzluga Isyan.

So far Kristina O'Donnelly has published 9 novels, with 5 more sitting in the pipeline.
And so, her quest to touch and perchance to help heal, the Universal Human Heart, goes on ....

The proverbial question begs: CAN YOU GO HOME AGAIN?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply Passionate Love Story, June 25, 2001

By 

Vicki M. Taylor "author and reader" (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Waltz With the Wind (Paperback)

This is a deeply passionate love story between marvelously described, yet completely believable characters. The love a daughter has for her mother, her father, her husband, her soulmate, herself and finally, for her own child. Lilliana suffers so much to ensure her freedom of creative expression without compromising her values. Waltz with the Wind will inspire you to work hard, have faith, and know that dreams do come true.