"Within the first few pages, I was engrossed and deeply moved by Apina Hrbek's eloquent writing skills. Tears of compassion were in my eyes at several points in this moving story of survival.

The main character, Edita, was raised by a heartless mother who became twisted after helplessly watching the communist government steal her family's vast fortune. Her nonconformist father was her only source of comfort and it was from him that she learned about these forbidden things called "choice" and "freedom".

The setting is a land under strict Soviet rule where people are in a constant state of fright and can not afford to trust anyone ? not even their own kin. To trust was an invitation for disaster.

The story of their escape to a land of freedom was wrought with circumstances going wrong ? and yet it all worked out in the end. Resettling in a place where they must learn new customs, new languages and find employment to support their small family was no easy task for Edita and her husband. Through poverty and displacement, the family struggled to find their dreams and learn how to deal with this new idea - the freedom to make choices.

Pandemonium is certainly an educational book that may be beneficial for children and grand children of immigrants who wish to understand what it was like. It also could serve as a useful reminder to appreciate, protect and expand upon the rights of all mankind."

Publisher: Publish America, Inc.
ISBN#: 1413756670
Author: Apina Hrbek

~ Lillian Brummet - Book Reviewer - Co-author of the book Trash Talk, a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment ­ Author of Towards Understanding, a collection of poetry.
http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit