Clash of Cultures

UK USA CDN AU

This is a humorous and educational book about Russia, its people and culture. What makes a Russian a Russian? What do they like to do or to eat or what makes them smile? If you are looking to learn more about this country, this book is for you! There are plenty of photos and illustrations to visualize the realities of life in this country. ~ Oleg Malikov

Book Description:

Why are nations at odds with each other? Is it religion or culture or something else that sets us apart? We all believe that we are so different that the common ground becomes an elusive concept. But are we really that different? In some cultural ways, yes, we are, but as human beings, we are most definitely not.

In this book I focus on the life of Russian people and try to explain in a humorous and educational way why Russians are different from Americans and the rest of the world. I touch on geography, history, language, social behavior and other factors that play an important role in shaping a society.

We are all a product of a millions of experiences, which mold us into what we are. If we could understand and acknowledge the components of this mold, maybe the world will finally start understanding each other and accept the fact that people are different.

To help you visualize the book I added a variety of illustrations and photos, which will put you in the middle of the action. You will see first-hand what is important to a Russian and why.

Now, sit back, relax and start your journey through one of the greatest countries in the world…

Clash of Cultures: Russia vs. USA or Understanding Russians Inside Out

UK USA CDN AU

Forgotten Objects

Forgotten Objects, by Carlos Rubio

Book Description:

Forgotten Objects traces the life of Anna d’Amio, daughter of opera singers Louis and Francesca d’Amio, from Mussolini’s Italy to the city of Pittsburgh during the mid sixties. The novel proper is made up of three parts: Italy, Cuba and United States. Married at seventeen and widowed at twenty, Anna leaves war-torn Italy to find her fortune in Cuba, she eventually meets Ramón Contreras, a wealthy tobacco grower who later becomes her second husband. The idyllic world that the couple had so laboriously built suddenly comes crashing down after the communist take over of the island and Ramón’ s sudden and violent death.

Now with two daughters under her care, Anna soon realizes that there is no future for them in Cuba, so she opts to send them to the United States through the Pedro Pan Program. Eventually she comes to the US herself, but by then the girls have been placed in foster homes. It is during this stage of her life, penniless and without influence, that she must make the greatest sacrifices to regain custody of her daughters. At the end of the novel, we find a series of letters, all dated 2005, that were exchanged by the sisters after their mother passed away. Anna left behind a box containing a collection of sundry items that she had collected throughout her life. Cognizant that these were significant for their mother, they attempt to piece together a sketch of her life through these forgotten objects.

Magnum Opus ~ Review by AlanI've been a big fan of Carlos Rubio's numerous novels for his decade long writing career. His fiction covers a myriad of subjects, and his storytelling is always highly entertaining. I've only just finished his latest novel, Forgotten Objects. This man never ceases to amaze me. The journey of his protagonist, Anna, will bring you places you've never been before, will give a look at a world you've never set foot upon. You can only imagine the incredible events of his latest novel - events that are scripted with a compassionate and delicate hand, but with unhinged, dizzying twists an turns in plot, and the outrageous fate for the lives of those characters who are all dear family members of the community that is the world of Carlos Rubio's imagination and craft. Read it, and I guarantee you will enjoy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A native of Cuba, Carlos Rubio came to the United States in 1961 and finished high school in Wilmington, Delaware. He holds a BA degree from Concord College and a MA degree from West Virginia University.

A bilingual novelist, in Spanish he has written Caleidoscopio, Saga, Orisha and Hubris. In 1989 his novel Quadrivium received the Nuevo León International Prize for Novels.

In English he is the author of Orpheus’ Blues, Secret Memories and American Triptych, a trilogy of satirical novels. In 2004 his novel Dead Time received Foreword’s Magazine Book of the Year Award.

Forgotten Objects is available through Amazon and other booksellers