Recenzie carte: Din Liverpool in Carpati, de Arabella McIntyre-Brown
[mkdf_dropcaps type=”normal” color=”red” background_color=””]S[/mkdf_dropcaps]a te muti Din Liverpool in Carpati, intr-o zona semi-salbatica, renuntand la multe dintre beneficiile „civilizatiei” pare la prima (si la a doua) vedere, o decizie cel putin bizara. Iar daca persoana care si-a asumat aceasta aventura este o femeie singura si matura, cu atat mai mult.
Dar Arabella McIntyre-Brown nu este o persoana obisnuita. Este un om care a trecut prin multe si a facut multe. O persoana care si-a asumat propriul destin si propriile alegeri si a reusit, de fiecare data, sa mearga mai departe. O persoana retrasa dar calda, vulnerabila dar puternica, amuzanta si profunda in acelasi timp.
Sa incercam sa ne imaginam numai ce forta interioara presupune sa te dezvalui in fata celorlalti, prin scris, facandu-i martori la cele mai dificile experiente din propria viata. Numai un supravietuitor isi poate recunoaste momentele de slabiciune. Numai cineva care a ratacit mult stie cand a ajuns cu adevarat acasa.
Pentru Arabella McIntyre-Brown acasa este Magura. Iar cartea Din Liverpool in Carpati este tributul ei pentru micuta comunitate si tinutul care au adoptat-o si i-au redat pofta de viata. Pentru ca Magura este locul in care a reusit sa-si regaseasca linistea sufleteasca, sa se bucure din nou, sa scrie din nou. Locul caruia ii dedica pagini pline de emotie si iubire, incercand sa-i faca dreptate Romaniei, dincolo de stereotipurile negative si miturile gotice legate de Dracula, sa arate farmecul vietii simple si sanatoase in mijlocul naturii.
A nu se intelege ca autoarea vede numai partile bune ale traiului la tara, intr-o comunitate ramasa cumva in urma timpurilor. Apreciaza bunatatea si ospitalitatea oamenilor, legaturile familiale stranse, viata “curata”, munca lor neobosita. Vede potentialul vietii linistite in aer liber, intr-un peisaj pitoresc, inconjurata de plante medicinale, mancand fructe si legume crescute in mod natural, in propria gradina.
Dar vede la fel de bine si „betesugurile”: lipsa posibilitatilor financiare, copiii care trebuie sa participe de mici la treburile gospodariei, alaturi de parintii lor, in defavoarea jocului si a unei vieti lipsite de griji. Modul in care sunt tratate animalele – simplu mijloc de castigare a existentei, nu fiinte care iti tin companie, pe care le ingrijesti si le protejezi ca si cum ar face parte din familie. Vremea capricioasa de la munte, care isi impune ritmul asupra vietii oamenilor, infrastructura proasta, lipsa serviciilor medicale locale.
De cand s-a mutat in Romania a avut parte, desigur, si de cativa „smecheri”. Ca noi toti, as adauga. Dar asta nu a facut-o sa discrimineze romanii per ansamblu – ca multi conationali ai sai si nu numai. Poate si pentru ca, in afara de a fi o persoana rationala, stie din propria experienta ce inseamna sa fii judecat din motive mai „puerile” de atat. Cum ar fi faptul ca esti „diferit” si, considerand ca propria viata iti apartine, ai dreptul sa o traiesti asa cum vrei. Cu sau fara un partener, cu sau fara copii, inconjurat de mai multi sau mai putini oameni, respectand la randul tau alegerile celorlalti. Si, nu in ultimul rand, viata care ti se potriveste si iti aduce bucurie.
Autoarea priveste lucrurile realist, dar cu mult umor. Tonul povestirilor ei este de o mare tandrete, iar atitudinea, in consecinta, una de acceptare. Asa si este iubirea adevarata, nu? Acceptarea neconditionata, cu bune si cu rele.
Arabella McIntyre-Brown ne reaminteste si o lectie foarte importanta: cea a recunostintei. Fata de noi insine si fata de cei care ne sunt alaturi pe drumul devenirii noastre. O lectie de viata pe care ar trebui sa ne-o insusim si sa o punem in practica din ce in ce mai des.
In acest spirit, atat ca cititoare, cat si ca romanca, ii multumesc Arabellei McIntyre-Brown pentru ca ne-a daruit aceasta carte. Si, pentru ca inteleg ca apreciaza feedback-ul (din cele scrise pe site) si ca nu stie (inca) foarte bine romaneste (citind cartea), postez mai jos si o incercare de traducere in engleza.
Multumiri si editurii All care mi-a incredintat cartea. O puteti achizitiona si voi, cu o reducere generoasa, aici.
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Both as a reader and as a Romanian, I would like to thank Arabella McIntyre-Brown for giving us the gift of this book. As a token of my gratitude, because I understand (from this website) that she welcomes feedback and (from reading her book) that she doesn’t know Romanian very well (yet), I’m posting below an attempt of English translation for my review.
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To move from Liverpool to the Carpathians, in a remote location, giving up the perks and comfort of “civilization” might seem at first (and second) glance, a very peculiar idea. And if the person doing it is a single, mature woman, even more so.
But Arabella McIntyre-Brown is no ordinary person. She went through a lot and did a lot in this life. She took hold of her own destiny, she made her own choices and she always managed to succeed, no matter what. She strikes me as private but warm, vulnerable but strong, funny and wise at the same time.
Let’s try to imagine how much inner strength you need to unfold yourself in front of others, through your writing, sharing the most difficult times of your life. Only a survivor can acknowledge weakness. Only those who wandered for a long time can find their true way home.
For Arabella McIntyre-Brown home is Magura and her book, Din Liverpool in Carpati is a tribute to the small community and the land that both adopted and brought her back to life. Because Magura is the place where she found peace of mind, the place that enabled her to be happy again, to write again. The place she describes in pages full of love and emotion, trying to give justice to Romania, beyond the negative stereotypes and the Gothic mythology inspired by Dracula, to show the beauty of simple, healthy living among nature.
Don’t think for a second that she only sees the bright side of living in the countryside, in a community where time apparently stands still. She appreciates people’s kindness and hospitality, their close family ties, their “clean” life and relentless work. She can see the potential of leading a peaceful life in the open air, in a picturesque landscape, surrounded by medicinal herbs, eating fruits and vegetables from your own garden.
But she can see the drawbacks equally well: the financial difficulties, the children who need to step up and help their parents from a young age, instead of just playing and having a carefree life. The way animals are treated, like assets, not pets that keep you company, that you take care of, protect and cherish as members of your family. The capricious weather that dictates the rhythm of people’s lives, the poor infrastructure, the lack of local medical care.
Since she moved to Romania she also met, of course, some dodgers. Don’t we all… But that didn’t make her discriminate against (all) Romanians, like some of her countrymen do. Maybe also because, apart from being a rational person, she also experienced herself what it means to be judged for poorer reasons than that. For being simply different and, thinking that your life belongs to you (only), you have the right to live it as you wish. With or without a partner, with or without children, surrounded by a smaller or larger group of people, respecting, in turn, other people’s choices. And, the most important, to live a life that suits you and brings you joy.
The author has a practical view of things, spiced up with humour. The tone of her stories is full of tenderness and her attitude, one of acceptance. But this is what true love is, isn’t it? Acceptance, for better or worse.
Arabella McIntyre-Brown also reminds us of a very important lesson: the one of gratitude. Towards ourselves and towards the ones that stand by us on the path of our becoming. A life lesson that we should acquire and practice more often.
In this spirit I would like to express my gratitude to Arabella McIntyre-Brown for writing this book and to the publisher (Editura All) for entrusting it to my reading care.
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