Best of Family & Relationships
Best of Family & Relationships
"So Many Books, So Little Time!"
The House of Spark
by
Luminita Laflash
Genre/s
Fiction, Political thriller, Historical
Publish Date
March 8, 2022
Short Description
It's the 1950s in Romania, after the fall of the Romanian monarch, a time of terror for its citizens. Following the Russian rules, the government implemented the Securitate, a police agency used as an instrument of manipulation and control over the country and its economics, education, and even its very culture. But one group of young university students will not be silenced.
The novel is a story of the courage, resilience, and pride of Romanian people who overcame the fear that lay within themselves and fought the injustices at the time. Based on real events and the author's family history, The House of Spark shares the story of a group of people unrelated to one another who banded together in search of their missing friend Jenica. Despite the danger that they could face prosecution, imprisonment, or even death for the questions they were asking. They proved that their passion for one another overcame the fear within them and fought anyway. Will Jenica's girlfriend Virginia be able to find him?
$14.99
Book's Awards
Description
The House of Spark takes place in Romania during the ruling of the Communist regime in 1957. During this time, the country was invaded by the Soviet Union. Following the Soviet system, the new Romanian government invented the Securitate, an instrument for manipulating and controlling the population. Young Virginia is a university student whose life of tragedy--including her father and brother's death--has given her a strength beyond her years. Just when she started feeling strong again, her boyfriend, Jenica, vanished. Virginia turned to their mutual friends, Doina and Mircea, for help. They started gathering information to find him taking serious risks in doing so, causing them to jeopardize their safety with the Securitate and others through exposure and asking questions. When there's a report of a homicide, Virginia fears the worst, but attempts at surreptitiously getting identification or a police report are met with suspicious dead ends. It's too dangerous to get the officials involved, and it's difficult to know who to trust--identifying who are members of the communist party or who would be sympathetic to her efforts. She's desperate to find out where Jenica is or what has happened to him. An unexpected phone call turned Virginia's world upside down, but it will help her find Jenica.
The House of Spark is based on what Luminita's family lived through in Romania during this tumultuous period of controlling and violent communist power and civil unrest. The novel is a story of bravery and resilience by the thousands of Romanian families who carried on to persevere, finally ending with the 1989 Romania Revolution, the end of the communist rule in the country, and the beginning of a rebuilding towards democracy.
Book Trailer
Reviews Of The Book On BooksShelf
"The House of Spark" by Luminita LaFlash is a captivating historical novel that immerses readers in the gripping world of 1950s Romania. With a resilient protagonist, Virginia, at its core, the story offers a powerful narrative of friendship and courage in the face of adversity. LaFlash's storytelling prowess shines in this engrossing tale.
"The House of Spark" is a gripping historical novel that delves into the turbulent era of 1950s Romania, marked by the oppressive shadow of the communist regime. The story centers on Virginia, a resilient university student who faces personal tragedies and becomes a beacon of strength.
The narrative skillfully captures the atmosphere of fear and mistrust in a time of political upheaval. Virginia's quest to find her missing love, Jenica, keeps readers engaged and invested in her journey. The plot is filled with suspense and intrigue, as Virginia risks her safety to uncover the truth.
However, the pacing of the story can be somewhat uneven, with certain sections moving quickly while others are more contemplative. But this doesn't take from the pleasure of reading it.
In conclusion, "The House of Spark" is an evocative and suspenseful tale that offers a compelling glimpse into a dark period of history. Despite minor pacing and character development issues, the book successfully immerses readers in the world of post-monarch Romania, and Virginia's determination to find Jenica keeps the tension high. It's a novel that will resonate with those who appreciate historical fiction set in challenging times.
The House of Spark by Luminita LaFlash is a historical novel about Romania and the life of Romanian people during communism. The book is well written with many details that were fascinating. It immerses the reader in a whole new world and it shows a different perspective of life as we know it. The characters were well-developed and interesting. The book is great for young readers as well as adults.
