Book of The Month discussion

Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.

Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.

Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?

20 chapters

(view spoiler)[ the cold and the hunger in Romania is heartbreaking

do you think his Bunu is part of a revolution? they appear to be using code to communicate something

I'm so sad they used him to spy and won't even pay up the medicine for this Grandpa (although his grandpa will instantly wonder where the medicine came from)

I think his crush on Lilian. I think it's going to make it easier to control him. I hope they don't hurt her

the stories of the dogs in the street is also heartbreaking. their suffering is just so awful (hide spoiler)]

40 chapters

(view spoiler)[ wow, he's going to be in so much trouble when he realizes what they know

but will they be "freed" before they can punish him

I'm so sad Lilian thinks it's him but I don't blame her. it feels like you can't trust anyone. It almost sounds like they have cameras in the american's house. why do they need an informant too? (hide spoiler)]

60 chapters

(view spoiler)[ that must be so tough. he's constantly wondering who around him is an informant. Cici? I don't know, seems like there will be another answer

and his grandpa. that was just awful.
I hope the american neighbor makes it back out

I don't know much about Romania so I'm not sure how it goes from here. I'm worried they get the freedom but that Cristi will be killed before he can enjoy it (hide spoiler)]

and I'm done

(view spoiler)[ wow, the revolution was fast and so brutal

I'm sad Cici got hurt. the amount of people in just one family that they were watching and/or recruiting.

I think the mom's reporting was the most heartbreaking. You know she was doing it to try to keep her kids safe - but it just seemed to put a bullseye on them instead.

and it's just so scary - how quickly, when we become "you vs them" kind of society, how quickly you an treat the "others" the "them" as less than human. their treatment of the kids in the jail was just awful

and to know this kind of thing really happened - this society that was so held down and made so paranoid. and so so hungry. I had no idea Romania went through this. I love this author, she always has such good, interesting historical fiction! (hide spoiler)]