DANIELA

by Behira Graham

Set in the early1970s. Daniela, young and beautiful, burns her bridges, travels far to find a place where she could belong, a future and a life of her own. A fast moving, character driven emotional story.
It takes a long time to get over being left by the man you love. Daniela, bright but somewhat naïve, takes the drastic measure of leaving her country and traveling through Europe to make a new life in London. As she tries to find her way into English society, she observes it as only an outsider could. Faced with challenges, far harder than she anticipated, she perseveres, finds a new path to follow and learns to trust and love again. But just when she feels secure, a succession of tragedies befalls her.
Daniela’s arduous journey with a colourful cast of characters, is played out against the rich tapestry of the seventies, with its music, fashion and drugs, sexual freedom and the liberating new way of life.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 13, 2022

About the author

Behira Graham - I was a singer for many years before working in the film industry in the costume department. Both careers are feast or famine. During famines, when looking for work as a singer, I wrote songs, and between film engagements, I wrote novels. I have always poured my heart out onto the inviting blank pages in times of trouble. I am an avid reader and gardening is my other passion.

Reviews

[Marian Rubenfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young woman's turbulent transit through the 60s and 70s

This novel will appeal to those who fondly remember the 60s and 70s as a time of great change, as personified by the title character, Daniela, who has the added inducement of being a young Israeli woman caught up in the changes. Distraught over the dissolution of a romance and a family who cannot feel her depth of despair over it, she begins a migration that most readers will find fascinating in search of herself. It takes her from from Tel Aviv to Switzerland, Germany, Amsterdam, Paris, and ultimately London, and she interacts with people from each place and with each locale in the temper of the time. I found that I was somewhat frustrated by the lack of emotional depth Daniela had for herself, with that she had she had for some more minor characters in the story at times, preferring to dwell on the drug-related odysseys the characters went on - but those were the times, indeed. Finally, the ending of the novel just begs for a continuation of Daniela's story as she journeys to America: a sequel?

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

DANIELA is a well-written and engaging book vividly evoking the zeitgeist of the early 1970s in Europe. Leaving home, Daniela pursues her dream of a life in London, where the youth revolution appeals to her unconventional nature. She finds herself in strange situations and great difficulties that she overcomes with determination and resilience while feeling insecure and sometimes scared. She learns to know herself, the value of friendship, and a place to call home.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

DANIELA takes readers on an exciting journey through the wild lifestyle of the 70’s. After breaking up with her boyfriend Benyamin, Daniela, an Israeli woman, travels across Europe, staying with friends and having interesting adventures. For Daniela it is the journey that matters. I especially enjoyed the time she spent with Herr Schaffermann, the fur dealer and concentration camp survivor, and his wife Dolly. They were very interesting characters. The detail in this book was very well done. The books, music and media described were all perfect in period and Daniela’s wandering travels across Europe touched on some interesting historical moments at times, like Checkpoint Charlie. This book was a fascinating read, but ultimately also a fairly dark one, especially towards the end. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy an interesting character study and those who enjoy historical fiction set in the seventies. 4/5 stars.

Trigger warnings: suicide, death

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from the author for review purposes.

[Joshua Kidd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniela is a great book that details life in the fast lane. The main character leaves England for Continental Europe and the adventure heats up from there. I wasn’t expecting the nice detail and character building that Graham accomplished, so this book truly was a pleasant surprise. Highly recommend.