Growing Up in Communist Albania

by Nosh Mernacaj

The atrocities of Communism in the aftermath of World War II - all the way up to 1990s, especially the ones in the heart of Europe, are mostly unknown to the western reader. This memoir is a first-hand account of growing up in a Communist Country.

Genres: History, Memoir, Nonfiction

262 pages, Paperback

Published June 13, 2021

About the author

Nosh Mernacaj was born in Albania during the communist regime and lives in New York, USA.
He wrote his first book "Growing Up in Communist Albania" as a tribute to his family's sufferance and as a reminder of communist brutality.

Reviews

[Dayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

By 1993 the only people who believed in socialism & communism were western academics who had never lived under such regimes & had never lacked for anything. Nosh Mernacaj's in-depth view of life under communism is a stark contrast to the theoretical utopia lauded by these academics. Reading each chapter is like listening to a guslar (sorry, I don't know Albanian, so I have to use the S-Cr-B term) singing epic tales. Yet unlike the guslar, who always ends stating, "As I heard it, so I tell it," the author's "This is not a tale I heard. This is what I lived," gives his words so much more weight.
The book is written in an informal voice, making it accessible to all, not just academics. There are some word confusions (e.g. live for life, noose for nose, exhausting for exhausted, etc.) but they don't prevent the reader from understanding what was meant. I received a Kindle edition from a Goodreads giveaway.

[EarnedIt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never knew this about Albania

This book should be taken as a lesson in history which sadly wasn't a long time ago. I never knew the specific details of how severely Russian communism oppressed people around the world, specifically in Albania. I cannot imagine a worse world to live in. Anybody deciding for other people, what they should eat, how much they should eat, what can they wear, what can they say or not say, where can they go, what can they watch, read or listen to, how much land can they own with their own money, is extremely absurd. It's shocking that in today's time there are still countries oppressing their citizens, not allowing them to leave the country and controlling them in every way possible. It really makes you take a step back and appreciate things we take for granted like freedom of speech, press, and religion. However, I also can't help but think how many lives capitalism has ruined as well.

We are all forced to participate in this economic system, and should you say anything bad about it, your employers, community, and even friends and family will look at you differently. The author mentions die hard communists in the book, and what they will do to people they come to learn are anti-communist. And while we may not be thrown in jail for criticizing capitalism, we can still face very real consequences from speaking out against it.

This book teaches us that we must all be allowed to live our lives with the freedom of choice. As long as you aren't hurting anyone, live and let live.

[Siadehghangmail. Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read book. Easy to read, good understanding of were they were and we're we Americans are going if we don't pay attention

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing true story of what life was like during Communism in Albania. It was a quick and eye-opening read, every American should be great full to live in freedom after reading this book!! Should be on schools reading lists!!

[Paul Olkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional first hand account of what it was like to live and grow up in the country of Albania from the end of WWII until the late 1990's. It is a chillingly bleak account of how power corrupts absolutely. The people of Albania were essentially slaves of their own government who threatened them for almost anything that they did that was not connected to their work. There was no TV for the average family, no indoor plumbing, no education past the 4Th grade, no travel was permitted between towns, no public transportation, and no freedom.
This would make a great movie except there is no one who would make it. The movie industry agrees with many of the policies of the Albanian government but not to the degree on which they were carried out. However, they still agree. The government should make the rules and the people follow.
Every year we get one step closer to what Nosh Mernacaj describes in his book. I totally understand now why people from communist countries embrace America like they do, while the common American could care less about what is going on in their state capitals and in the halls of the US capital building. This can happen to America. See CANADA for recent events and updates on the disillusion of peoples rights and freedoms.
Some brave producer should at least try to bring this story to a very wide audience. If not the movies, then a 2 hour TV special on the History channel. Something akin to the DEAR DAD M*A*S*H show some years ago. This story MUST BE TOLD before it is too late. Freedom is disappearing from the Earth. America was always the last best hope and now day by day , week by week, freedom is disappearing from the shores of America too. Nosh Mernacaj did his part in warning us of what could happen to a country that isn't prepared or strong enough to resist. It is our duty to heed his warning and keep freedom alive in our lifetime.
5stars out of 5 for GROWING UP IN COMMUNIST ALBANIA.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful account of the rise and fall of communism in Albania. Mernacaj highlights the inequity and favoritism displayed by communist leaders as well as the attempts to squash free thought. Over the generations Mernacaj's family members continue to resist and he recounts the fall of the Soviet Union and his family's immigration to the United States. An inspirational read not for the faint of heart.

[Bibser · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting insight, i hadn't realized the gravity of suffering the Albanians had endured until i read this. easy to read.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eye opening

An inside look at a life inside of a communist country. Everything they controlled, how the “favorites” were chosen, how communism was implemented and encouraged. Also, this book takes a look at what happened to those who were deemed uncooperative and their families.

#GoodreadsGiveaway

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a little glimpse into a world that is so foreign to most of us. It was truly eye opening and at times hard to read how difficult life was for so many people. Definitely an important read though and the only minor criticism I had was some small grammar errors. Still definitely an important read.

[Jennifer Wrage · Rating 3 out of 5]

FYI: I won this book on goodreads.com. This is an interesting recount of one family's challenges. What a life! It has made me rethink my challenges. Thank you for sharing.

[Lolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a first hand account of the author's life in Communist Albania and exposes the harsh reality of a cruel regime that  tortured common folk and stripped them of their basic rights in the name of  Communist ideology. Nosh and his entire family were subject to persecution by the government of the time. Their bravery and struggle to survive in the midst of poverty, false imprisonment and several attempts to crush their individuality and defiance, is a testament to victimized people all over the world who push back against oppressive and tyrannical governments .
I received this book from Goodreads and it came with a personalized message from the author , Nosh Mernacaj. It is a chilling reminder of  how one's freedoms that are taken for granted in democracies could be stripped away in the blink of an eye with a change in government. It makes one pause and count blessings. I would have given the book 5 stars if not for some grammatical errors and faulty editing.

[Brian F. Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A work of history and perhaps prophecy

My wife grew up in Lezha (near Shkoder) and is about the same age as the author. This excellent book helps me understand her better. I once heard that survivors of Albanian communism share a similar PTSD as that of Holocaust survivors. Frightening. I say this book is prophetic because it serves as a warning to the present day fans of Marx and Lenin who are seeking socialism in America. Chumming around communists (like Tim Walz did) ought to be an immediate disqualification for anyone seeking office in the United States. But we are ignorant of history here. Nosh has educated us. What will we do with his lessons? Will we stick our heads in the sand, hoping that Marxist plans are subjugated to the dustbin of history and a few countries in Asia and South America? Or will we grow a pair, rise up, and claim our birthright of freedom as children of God? I could go on, and I might later, but let me just say that Nosh's story needs to be taught in our schools, the way Holocaust survivors visit schools in Florida. Totalitarianism is NOT the way, whether it's Naziism or Socialism. God bless.

[Nani Rump · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was travelling Albania and thought I would read a book on the experiences of Albanians during communism. This was a good view into it with divided chapters about different family member's lives, and different aspects of life. Because of this, it chopped and changed timelines which was a little jarring. I also just wish someone who spoke English as their native language had edited this, because although it was readable, the meaning got lost sometimes due to the language and different spelling of the same thing in the same sentence etc. But I guess it did lend it an authentic air and I found myself reading it in my head in an Albanian accent. Thank you for sharing your family's stories Nosh!

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have visited Albania and am fascinated by this country. I enjoyed reading this book that really gave me a clear idea of what life was like under Enver Hoxha.

I do have to say that I found spelling mistakes and clerical errors on practically every page. It's unfortunate that the book was not revised and edited. That took away some of my interest. Also, the author focuses a little too much on his family members by providing precise details about everybody, when I believe the reader is mostly interested in life in Albania as opposed to having a detailed family tree.

Overall though, this was a very good book.

[LB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating and disturbing personal account of how the people of Albania were forced to live under communism for many years. I truly can’t imagine how hard that life must have been. Very thankful to have received this book in a giveaway.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up I didn't know that not only was Albania a severe communist country, communism only ended in the 90s! This was such heart breaking read. I think it's so very important for people to read this book and learn a first hand account of what happened. All in all, a really good book.

[Kellan Slagle · Rating 5 out of 5]

enver hoxha tungjateja

[Amy Ingalls]

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

[David Stern Zuerich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Halo my freund