Yelena Franklin | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

With the horrors that have befallen the former Yugoslavia, it is not surprising that many would look back on the Communist era nostalgically. Franklin revisits the twilight years of the Tito era, a world full of eccentric family and friends -- Serbs, Croats, and Muslims -- all coexisting happily before being engulfed in civil war. In this semi-autobiographical novel, an Americanised Yugoslav woman returns home for a visit and to check up on her ageing father, a war hero and former diplomat whose declining health mirrors the inevitable disintegration of the nation. The interpersonal dynamics between characters are reminiscent of Neil Simon's bittersweet comedies. Franklin's love for her country comes through in every sentence. Franklin has written the 'perfect' expatriate novel for the end of the century.