Rakiya - Stories of Bulgaria by Ellis Shuman isa collection of cultural short stories set in Bulgaria. In these short storieswe follow such characters as pickpocketing Roma, a WWII veteran, refugees,authors, makers of rakiya, and hunters - all while learning about the richhistory of the area.

As someone who knows little about the Bulgarian culture or the history, I wasenchanted by the stories. I was also intrigued by the foods, drinks, mountains,and churches. By the time I was finished with the collection, I wondered if atrip to Bulgaria might be in order!

As an author, I was fascinated with how the author weaved these tales into acohesive whole - and loved how a character from one story would inevitably endup in another. Despite being a series of short stories, it reads far more likea novel, with Bulgaria as the main character. It's a great read.

Review by Teri M. Brown