Czarina

Book excerpt: Czarina is a heart-warming diction of an ordinary persecuted citizen of the Soviet Union. It has in its folds a blend of love and affection, jealousy and prejudice, fright and disgust, sex and adultery; all interwoven with great expertise reflecting the usual human instincts. The author does not attract the reader by creating undue suspense, nor does the story start with a bang. He puts the story to the reader in a natural way. Despite heros outstanding performance in written tests, he does not get the expected position after an interview for a governmental job. With frustration abound, the hero deserts his country through Afghanistan and reaches the UK. Without dragging, the author illustrates with perfection the plight of an asylum seeker. On arrival in the UK, he starts his life with menial jobs and with the passage of time, through devotion and hard work, he reaches the top echelons in the British society. While struggling to reach this enviable position he could not give as much attention to his wife as was expected by her. Being so neglected, she gets attracted to a handsome admiral of Royal Navy. I was gripped to complete reading in one go to find whether the Hero and heroine unite..Professor Sabir Jaffery This is an interesting story which holds the readers attention throughout. It has a good length and the plot hangs together well. The characters are believable and the book gives good insights into the Russian attitudes and character, as well as the functioning of the Soviet administration. The transition to a more open type of administration after the dissolution of the USSR is well handled. For Westerners there are many glimpses of life in an unfamiliar context. Professor Dr Calum Gilmour New Zealand