The Curtain Rises

Much has been written about how the authoritarianism of the Communist era gave way to more open societies in the former Soviet bloc countries, yet little has been said about how individuals in these countries have been affected and how they contributed to the changes in their societies. How does the relationship between husband and wife change when planned economy gives way to financial incertitude? When all are free to speak their minds publicly, are children more likely to do so at home or at school? How do the elderly adjust to new laws and fewer pensions?
This book describes, in their own words, the lives of everyday people in Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and the Former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia as they struggled under Soviet domination, as they endured the revolutions in their respective countries, and as they now adapt to a free world society. These individuals, struggling with philosophical, political, educational, cultural, and spiritual adjustments, are entrepreneurs, political activists, scientists, and teachers. They are assuming leadership roles in local politics and implementing reforms in the schools. The book includes photographs, maps, and short introductory national histories.

Health education consultant and author Susan G. Shapiro lives with husband
Ronald Shapiro, a foreign business development consultant and lecturer, in Silver Springs, Maryland.

Susan G. Shapiro with Ronald Shapiro
Foreword by Elizabeth Lorant
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 239
Bibliographic Info: photos, maps, index
Copyright Date: 2004
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1672-1
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8167-5
Imprint: McFarland

“In the pages of The Curtain Rises are testimonies of ordinary yet remarkable people…I could not be more pleased that this book has been published”—Mr. Seth Cropsey, Director of the International Broadcasting Bureau (Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty); “Resonates with so many life stories of people behind the Iron Curtain…history comes alive in The Curtain Rises”—H.E. Sorin Ducaru, Romania Ambassador to the United States.