Publisher's Synopsis
What do you get when you mix post-Soviet chaos, European ambition, and a people who can bribe their way through anything? You get Soviet Ghosts, European Dreams, and a Bag of Onions-a wildly funny, deeply moving, and brutally honest memoir of life in Moldova between 1990 and 2010.
This is the story of a country that wanted to be European but couldn't quite shake off its Soviet hangover. A place where power cuts turned entire cities into candlelit medieval villages, where roads resembled obstacle courses, and where a bag of onions could get you out of a bureaucratic nightmare. Corruption wasn't just a problem-it was a lifestyle. Need a doctor? Bring a chicken. Need a favor? A bottle of cognac should do.
Told through real stories, absurd encounters, and a sharp sense of humor, this book captures the resilience of a people who danced through hardship, found creative ways to survive, and never stopped dreaming-even when those dreams had to be smuggled across the border in a cargo truck.
If you love history, dark humor, and tales of survival served with a side of homemade wine, Soviet Ghosts, European Dreams, and a Bag of Onions is the book you didn't know you needed.
