My Story

After “Your Story”, without hesitation, the author steps through the boundary of journalism with the book “My Story”. In a way a continuation, it presents us with a series of “instant photos” of our most recent history. Without any pathos, she looks self-ironically for the place in it of the ordinary person, the one who obviously is not up to speed with the current events, but if not their engine, he is at least a participant in them and surely a biographer of his own destiny.

In the center of our attention is the story - an echo from the politics and hatred of the day, but also the story - personal, yours, mine, hers, everybody’s, stretched between the pathos-filled poems of Vazov and the anecdotes for the American, the French and the Bulgarian. Between the sizzling of fried meat balls and the drums of military marches. Drown in cheerless self-regret or dancing until there is no tomorrow. Where is Bulgaria?

A look from inside at ourselves, not always pleasing, but with good intentions, that wants to capture the image of the Bulgarian, through the eyes of the author, a moment before “becoming European”.

Some memorable quotes from the book:

I leave the old man and sink into grey Bulgaria - the one in which white money is becoming rare and black days more frequent. Bulgaria in which fathers have not been able to teach their sons to take care of them when they are old, and the phrase “Take it easy, dad” is part of a living nightmare.”

From chapter “Take It Easy, Dad” which is the story of an old man who lost his criminal son in a shooting (p. 180).

How can I say it, boys. To live in Bulgaria is part of the injustice in the world. But if everything is just, there will be no equilibrium in the world, right? If I didn’t stay in Bulgaria, I would not be what I am now.”

From chapter “The Benefit of Injustice in the World” when the author talks to German friends in Berlin (p. 220).

To come here [in Vienna], I decided right away. Now I can’t make up my mind to leave. My angels are weak. I got used to this situation - not entirely here, not entirely there. But to tell you the truth, I don’t know how it was back then, but now it’s not easy to be Mozart.”

From chapter “It’s Not Easy to be Mozart” where a young Bulgarian went to Vienna to look for his old girlfriend, but ended up dressed as Mozart, selling concert tickets on the street, in the cold winter (p. 244).

Maybe we are not living well here, but we hope that one day we’ll be OK. Slowly life gets better. In Bulgaria time just goes by and nothing happens. ”

From chapter “Once the European Union Comes…” where in Vienna, on Christmas night the author talks to Bulgarians living and working there (p. 250).