Bottled Goods - Sophie van Llewyn

I will never shy away from saying that if we do not look back to the past that paved the way for our present, we will never learn (be it as individuals, society, country or planet).
And I think we should always try to learn and always question the errors made in the past for they help us make things better.

There were two reasons that made me want to read this book.
One, it was longlisted for Women's Prize for Fiction in 2019.
Two, it was written by a Romanian-born author and it depicts the 1970s communist Romania.

This is the story of a married couple in search for freedom. Though we only get to learn Alina's side of the story, we understand that things are not that easy for Liviu either. Following the defection of his brother to the West, Liviu drowns his sorrows in alcohol, while Alina suffers numerous abuses.
Of great importance is the depiction of the power that the Secret Services and their officers had on ordinary people - not only for those who have lived that time, but also for those who have not for they should be able to better understand the context of the Communist regime.

Alina turns for comfort to her aunt and so the story starts showing magical realism elements. Fear cannot be understood unless lived, but when children raise against their parents and vice versa and the feeling that nobody can be trusted is growing stronger and stronger, that's a sign that stresses the fact that something is wrong and humanity is altered.

Do not be afraid of the past. Be afraid of the fact that you might live it unless you open the eyes to the mistakes that made it!