‘Not many books on the travel shelves have the force of revelation, but this one does. Kapka Kassabova leads us into a country most of us have hardly read about with an elegant assurance, an acid wit and a heart-rending precision that can make you see the world quite differently. This book is a treasure.’ Pico Iyer
‘A fascinating book at once evocative, disturbing, and chock-a-block full of charm.’ Jan Morris
‘Kapka Kassabova’s poignant evocation of a childhood spent under one-party rule is complemented by her sharply observed and devastating account of her return to post-communist Bulgaria. Her skillful blend of memoir and travelogue offers a highly readable introduction to a rarely described corner of Europe.’ Vesna Goldsworthy
‘An emotionally dark, ironically humorous memoir… The most memorable and affecting parts are those describing Kassabova’s youth, a poignant and painful odyssey into the past by someone who spent years trying to escape it. Kassabova’s prose reveals a poet’s sensitivity.’ Sofka Zinovieff, Times Literary Supplement
‘[A] bitterly funny, brilliantly clever journey… The raw memoir is the first great achievement of this multifaceted book. The second is her meditation on nationality. Today we all live with the consequences of the tumbling economic, political and cultural walls. In a globalised world, Kassabova suggests, we are all Bulgarians now.’ The Times
cover image: from author’s personal archive
Kapka Kassabova 