{"product_id":"everything-worth-counting-a-mother-and-sons-journey-beyond-the-iron-curtain-9788409781003","title":"Everything Worth Counting: A Mother and Son's Journey Beyond the Iron Curtain","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the tumultuous landscape of 1970s Romania, a mother and her son embark on an uncertain journey from the ruins of their home to the dream of a new life in Barcelona.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlex is ten years old when the Vrancea earthquake reduces his home to rubble, taking with it his father and his best friend. Suddenly, it is only him and his mother, Eva, left in the ruins. With Ceaușescu tightening his grip on a fearful nation, they take refuge at his grandparents' home in the countryside. While Alex struggles to adapt to rural life, Eva, in the midst of grief and fear for their future, is secretly plotting their escape. When he least expects it, Alex finds himself hiding in a boat's storage room, his knees clenched to his chest, sobbing and hoping that nobody can hear his beating heart. He begins counting: twenty-one, twenty-two ...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInspired by real events and places, Alex and Eva's story is one of family, immigration, and relationships. Even when faced with unfamiliar worlds, new people, and uncertain beginnings, they always carry the image of their loved and lost ones and the flavours of their country in their hearts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBalan Larsen, Mihaela:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Like her protagonists, Mihaela was born in Romania during Ceaușescu's dictatorship. At twenty-one years old, she left the country and has since moved to several different places, including Barcelona and is now living in France. Through her own memories, family stories and of others that lived during those times, this novel tells a story that is both personal and universal, with characters inspired by people that marked her life.","brand":"Be You Very Well","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52057951371538,"sku":"9788409781003","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_7ee67fcb-27a2-4baf-909b-e9e1e7a738cb.jpg?v=1772018130","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/everything-worth-counting-a-mother-and-sons-journey-beyond-the-iron-curtain-9788409781003","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}