In WWII Romania, Tsura, a young Roma (gypsy) woman, has no choice but to leave her lover, Andrei, behind and marry the grandson of the man whose basement she and Andrei have been hiding in. An epic WWII saga, for fans of The Bronze Horseman and Outlander.
“It won’t be a real marriage.” Tsura put her hands to Andrei’s shirt and pulled him in close. “I’ll never share a bed with him. I love you. I only do what I must to keep us all safe. Once the war ends, it’ll be as if it never was.” She caught his face in her hands. “I am only yours, Andrei.”
“Yes, you’re only mine,” Andrei bent over and growled in her ear. “When you put on that dress for him and walk down the aisle in that ugly goy church,” he kissed her hard before putting a strong hand to the back of her neck, pulling her forehead to his, “you think of me, here. When you say your vows to that man, you remember that it’s me who has owned your body tonight.” He again pressed his lips to hers. It was a claiming.
Heather Anastasiu grew up in Texas and recently moved to Minneapolis with her family. When she's not busy getting lost exploring the new city, she spends most days writing at a café or daydreaming about getting a new tattoo.
I was asked to read this novel and write an honest review. I downloaded it via Kindle Unlimited. Romance novels are not normally on my reading list, but this book promised more. It promised and it delivered. In addition to being a twist on the star crossed lovers premise, the book is a fine WW2 historical novel. The plight of Romanian Jews and Gypsies (Roma) is brought home to the reader with realism and historical accuracy. Romanian politics, relations with Hitler and Germany, the Iron Guard, the progress of the war, and the strange and sometimes contradictory policies of the Antonescu regime are dealt with as a natural, flowing part of the story. Both the sympathetic and villainous characters are interesting and well developed. The author does a good job of portraying Tsura's confusion when she finds herself simultaneously liking individuals but hating their pro-Nazi beliefs and actions. The novel ends with hope for Tsura and concern for the future with the inevitable approach of the Communist Russian armies.
I accepted a free copy of Tsura by Heather Anastasiu for review from the author because the central character is a Romani woman. Romani are what the gypsies call themselves. I've read a number of books about Romani history and a couple of anthropology studies about Romani in the United States. I've also read some Romani memoirs, and a great many novels dealing with Romani. So you might say I'm interested in the subject.
I admit to being somewhat disappointed about the extent of Romani cultural content in Tsura. There was a slight Romani flavor sprinkled throughout Tsura, but ideally I would have liked to see a great deal more.
Tsura takes place in Romania in World War II. Some years ago I had read a Holocaust memoir about a Jewish woman from Poland who took refuge with relatives in Romania in World War II, and was therefore safe from the Nazis. Yet I knew that there were Romanian Jews who were sent to concentration camps. I was confused. Why were some Romanian Jews safe from the Nazis while others weren't? Tsura finally answered this question. I'd like to thank Heather Anastasiu for helping me to understand Romania's role in World War II a little better.
On the other hand, I had a problem with the way the Jewish Holocaust was portrayed in this book. Something occurred that could never have happened. Since this is a huge spoiler, I will have to hide this discussion behind spoiler tags.
So far I haven't discussed what I thought of the romance factor in Tsura which would be the most important component for those readers who chose to read this book because it's a romance. Well, it's a delayed HEA situation. There's a sequel and the relationship issues are presumably resolved over the course of that narrative. I wouldn't read the sequel for that reason myself, though I did like the romance hero very much. Tsura's difficulties with understanding him in this first book irritated me, and caused me to be impatient with her throughout the novel.
This is a series review because I wasn't sure how I felt after finishing book one and I wanted to see what happened next before I wrote my review.
Here are my thoughts: The author found her voice during the last 5% of book one and it carried through into book two. There is a shitload of drama in book two that I would have appreciated being stretched out more so I didn't feel as if my heart took a savage beating over and over again so rapidly. I wish the last 20% would have been more developed because it would have made for an excellent plot for book three and more powerful finale. I wish I would have read this series without the "for fans of TBH and OL" on my brain so I wouldn't have been comparing it the entire time. Those two series are my top favorites and really big shoes to fill. I do understand why it states "for fans of Outlander and The Bronze Horseman" but it definitely swayed my opinion in a negative manner because I wasn't able to read the series solely on its own merits, in which there are many. That's just me, though, and I'm a tough critic. Finally, and most importantly, I ended up really liking it. A strong three star read overall.
Looks can be deceiving. At first glance the novel's cover looks as if it's advertising paranormal romance, but upon reading it I was delighted to learn that it was indeed a WWII historical romance and the woman on the cover is the gypsy, Tsura. Forced into hiding, Tsura seeks refuge with an elderly couple and a young Jewish man who she falls madly in love with. One evening she is caught by two Nazis outside her hiding place and she is sure the end is near for a gypsy like her. Luckily one of the men is her older brother's best friend and he saves the day by claiming that Tsura is his fiance. In order to secure her safety he forges her identity and marries her, but it's a marriage on paper only, he won't touch her; he knows that she is in love with the Jewish boy. Tsura finds it hard to stomach being married to a man who works for the Nazis but she has little choice. Just when they think they are figuring out how to live with their farce of marriage trouble strikes. Will they be able to stand each other? How will they survive? Is evil only in black of white or in shades of gray? A fast paced, riveting read, perfect for fans of historical romance and WWII dramas. I can't wait to dive into the sequel to see how it ends.
I received this book for free from the author in return for my honest, unbiased review.
The best accolade I can give this story is to say that when I finished reading the book, I immediately bought the sequel. “Tsura” is a captivating tale about a spirited Roma young woman’s struggle for survival and to do what she can to help the Romanian resistance to the Nazi regime. It vividly evokes Second World War Romania, a lesser known arena of the world conflict, with a fast-paced plot and convincing dialogue. The complex character of the protagonist, Tsura, is one of the novel’s greatest strengths. From the opening chapter, I cared about her and agonised over her decisions and choices as her head and heart warred and she stumbled toward maturity. I’ve only read the first couple chapters of “House of Stone”, the sequel, but I’m already as engrossed in it as I was in “Tsura”. I can easily recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good story. NOTE: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a very powerful and historical read. It follows Tsura a young woman who has lost her family and is forced into a marriage because of her status. It is either hide in plain site and be married to the man she was rescued and hid by or be sent to a camp. It follows her life of pain and suffering and tells a wonderful yet sad story.
This book had a lot of history. I love reading about history. This book gave me a great story along with the history of World War 2.
I found it to be very great read. It was well written and had a great storyline. I hate that it ended so abruptly though and can't wait to read what comes next...Stormi
This is definitely an emotional ride. Tsura is such a passionate, heart-on-sleeve, and vibrant personality that the reader can’t help but be drawn into her journey. We feel her every soar of passion and romance, all her betrayals, her sorrows, and her struggle to survive. It’s an out-of-control train ride all the way up to the end, ratcheting up the emotional tension with each turn of the page.
At first, I wasn’t that impressed with Tsura. The actions she took in the beginning of the novel struck me the wrong way. Anybody willing to risk the life of those hiding them for a quickie against the outside wall of the house reads as selfish and ungrateful to me.
Yet, once she’s married and in Bucharest, away from Andrei really, I started to like her more and more. She grew as a character, maturing as the war and time progressed. She started to see that not everything is in shades of black or white and that the world is a crueler place than her dreams of married bliss with Andrei. Sometimes she would back slide into two-dimensional snap judgments and immature thought patterns, but those lessened in frequency as the book progressed.
I found the setting different from your usual WWII story. Nazi ally Romania isn’t an often written about spot. Seeing how they oppressed and persecuted their Jewish population, propagating huge pogroms like the Iasi pogrom and deporting to Transnistria yet refusing to give their Jews to the Nazis to send to the death camps was an interesting point. I also liked exploring the small resistance movement in Romania through Mihai’s and Tsura’s forging and spying activities.
I do have to say, though, that I ended the book ticked off rather than satisfied. It wasn’t a cliffhanger exactly; the reader isn’t left wondering if Tsura will survive a predicament or if Mihai will escape a situation.
However, there’s such a huge uptick in the emotional tension that builds and builds up to the very end with absolutely no resolution to come down from it. The emotions are of the gut-wrenching, soul-searing, heart-breaking variety. I was to the point of screaming at my Kindle with tears streaming down my cheeks.
And then suddenly: The End. Wait! What?!?!!? That was my reaction. The ending almost felt like emotional blackmail to get you to go get the second book right away. It worked on this reader; I’ve already gotten book two on my Kindle and have started it (thank God for Kindle Unlimited!). But that lack of any emotional resolution whatsoever really kills this book’s final impressions.
Great characters, emotional resonance that are off the charts, and an intriguing setting/timeframe of WWII make this an interesting read. Only the ending kills it; hopefully book two will end differently and give me a better impression of this duology. I’d recommend the book to lovers of romances and character studies in WWII; just have that second book prepared for instant reading and pretend that they’re all one book. Do that and I don’t think the abrupt ending will have as much power.
There's not much historical fiction about Romania during WW2. Everyone knows that the Jews are arrested and killed by the Nazis, but it's not commonly understood that gypsies were also decimated.
Anastasiu's story follows the Roma(=gypsy) girl, Tsura, whose marriage of convenience to gagii (=non-Roma) Mihai provides the cover she needs. Proximity, and a few other plot twists, propels their relationship from platonic to marital. But danger lurks and looms. Evil men exist.
I enjoyed learning more about the history and culture of Romania, her relationship to Germany and to Russia. Before I read this book, I hadn't knownthat Romania switched sides from the Axis to the Allies.
Although I haven't met Heather, her husband, a native of Romania, was the first person I knew/became friends with that grew up under a Communist regime. It was upon his recommendation that I read a historical romance, a genre I abandoned in the 1990s. I found this to be a page turner: mostly for the plot, but also to move past the occasional graphic sex scenes.
One of the things I like about being a writer myself is that I am exposed, through my craft and my network, to other genres, styles, and frames of reference that force me to leave my usual comfort zone - both as a reader and a writer. Tsura is a book that I would probably not pick from the shelve based on the cover or the synopsis. As a sci-fi and horror fan and erotica writer, WW2 romance was never high on my reading list. But sometimes, you take a chance and give a chance, and I'm glad I did. Tsura was a wonderfully suspenseful tale full of romance, conflicting characters that eventually have no other option than to set aside their biases and presuppositions about each other, and a history lesson focussing on an aspect of the Great European War that's mostly left unhighlighted in popular historical literature, fiction or non-fiction. The writing style and prose of Heather Anastasiu are an invitation, the plot and conflicts a true feast. Looking forward to picking up part 2, where part 1 left off.
I enjoyed this. The strong storyline combined romance with a very plausible picture of life in Romania in 1943. Tsura, an engaging and realistic character, tries to survive and wants to be with the man she loves, but has to accept some huge compromises.
Some aspects of the story were rather intriguing. I’d never thought about life on the "home front" within Eastern Europe or one of Germany's allies, nor how it might be to have to get along with Nazis and their sympathisers, or that you might actually quite like them despite their politics.
Despite being part 1 of a 2-part story, it doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger. This phase of the story is wrapped up well enough, but with a strong “to be continued” feel. Nicely done!
I haven't really delved into the world of historical romance too much, but after reading this novel I truly believe it's opened up an entire new sub genre to me. I highly recommend.
World War II is devastating Romania, and the Jews and Roma are being targeted for extermination by the government, allied with the Nazis. Tsura, a young gypsy girl, finds herself forced to accept marriage to Mihai, a Nazi collaborator, in order to save her family, and her lover, Andrei, a Jew. As the war rages, and Tsura adapts to her sham marriage, she learns that Mihai has been leading a secret life in an effort to atone for his father’s sins.
Tsura by Heather Anastasiu is a tale of war and love, set against the backdrop of wartime Romania, allied with the Germans as a protective shield against the Russians who covet Romanian territory. This compelling story explores the actions and feelings of people caught in a seemingly no-win situation, a small nation caught between two equally undesirable situations, fighting to survive. The growth of the characters, as they come to terms with their situations, is profound. The author has done a fantastic job of showing the potentially devastating effect of war on human relationships, and the way that different people respond to desperate circumstances.
This novel ends on something of a cliffhanger, but in this instance, the author can be forgiven, for the cliffhanger ends one chapter in the main characters’ lives and sets the stage for even more chilling events to come.
I very rarely feel the need to get the sequel to a book, but this is one of those occasions. As soon as I turned the last page I went to Amazon to grab 'House of stone', which I will be starting after writing this review. First of all, I found it amazing how natuarally the author managed to capture the Romanian 'ways' without even living there (though her name does indicate a Romanian descent). Second, I loved how she managed to seamlessly stitch together the characters and the flow of the story. The ending broke my heart. I really cried as I read the final pages, Tsura's grief so vividly and accurately followed, but without turning mushy. Now on to the next one I go, keeping my fingers crossed for the 'casa de piatra' :)
Tsura was a young Roma that was to impressionable for her own good. She gave away her most precious gift because of one boys lies and what he seen in front of him at that time. When she loses her brother all comes to a head with that young man but she tries to drown her sorrows into another’s an who just happens to be her husband. I believe Mihail is in love with his young wife but he has never said anything because she is his best friends baby sister. He protects her beyond in spite of himself but she does not see him cause of her supposed love for a man who only wanted to satiate his own need. I hope the next book makes these two come to terms of their loss and realize they are perfect for each other.
I received a free copy of Tsura through Bookbub/Amazon, and really enjoyed the story. So much so that I wanted to read book 2 (House of Stone) to find out what happens with Tsura and Mihai. Imagine my disappointment when I clicked on the provided link at the back of the book saying that book two was available for $2.99 or free on Kindle Unlimited, only to get a page that says it no longer exists. I went straight to Amazon, only to find a notification saying that the paperback is out-of-print with no available ebook. Very disappointing.
I couldn't put this book down. The characters are well drawn and it addresses a little known aspect of the war (The Roma people, Romania...). I fell in love with Mihai; such a strong, admirable character, and Tsura, the protagonist, was likable and sympathetic. Great plot twists and the slow, careful discovery of Tsura's feelings towards Mihai and vice versa was very well done. Can't wait to read book 2!!
I could say many good things about this book but I won't. The ending was one of the worst hatchet jobs I have witnessed in my life. It was a free read and thus an incomplete first book trying to force you to buy book two. Very shoddy. I will remember this author and never read anything she writes again.
Almost missed this opportunity to step back in time. I don’t really like history books. Due to the fact my grandfather told me how his family had to flee their home. I got to hold on to hope with this book. Thank you for writing a lovely book.
Tsura ensured so much during her short lived life it's a miracle she'd survived this long. I know that as soon as she gives Mihai a chance, her life will get a whole lot better. I can't wait to read the next episode of the series
The chemistry between Tsura and Mihai is so visible and honestly you just cannot dislike him. There is also drama, betrayal, love scene, death. Could've been more of WW2 itself though. I'm desperate for the second book House of Stone, but I simply Cannot find it anywhere. Generally I enjoyed it very much. Highly recommend it if you're looking for something to wipe the tears after finishing Tatiana and Alexander trilogy
Truly appreciated this WWII read of romance & drama, Iam surprised I forgot to write a review so here's mine. Its a dramatic, sarcastic at times romance with the epic time period happening to be the World War two. There struggle, choices made yet adventure in life is had.
Tsura Let me first preface by saying , I am not a fan of historical romance. I love romance. I love erotica. But usually I only read the ones written based on recent times. However, I took a chance on Tsura and i'm actually really glad that I did. Something about it just appealed to me. Tsura is a tale so powerfully emotional! You will feel love and passion but you will also feel anxiety and fear. The author does an astounding job of placing her reader so squarely in the scene as the story unfolds that you have to take a sec to look around and make sure you're still within the confines of your home and reading on your kindle! I was so drawn in and totally absorbed into the story and I honestly think that's probably what made me love it so much! I wasn't too crazy about the ending feeling like it wasn't as resolved as I'd have loved It to be but have no fear, the next book is there! I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of historical romances and even those who just may enjoy historical fiction because I honestly enjoyed it for more than just the romance. Definitely a one click read!