A Simple Tale of Love and Loss | Sergei Kourdakov

A few weeks ago I received a message on GoodReads from a book blogger in India offering to review my book.  It’s always wonderful to hear from readers . . . surprisingly so when the reader is a recognized blogger.  Book bloggers are inundated with review requests; it’s understandable and typical to never hear back from them.  Needless to say, Jan’s request to review my book definitely made my day!

A voracious reader and talented writer herself, Jan’s review for A Rose for Sergei brought out some very interesting points. As you read part of her review below, please note that “Sam” was the nickname given to me by co-workers.

Review:

“Throughout the book I had to keep reminding myself that this story is not a work of fiction but a real life account, for such was the writing.  The writer, Ms. Kidd, transported me to her world back in the 70s through her compelling writing.  Needless to say, the characterization was perfect.  She never ventured into telling about the person that Sergei was before defecting.  That is the best part of the whole book.  She simply didn’t give room for the readers to judge Sergei for the person that he was before defecting.  Sergei and Sam are poles apart, yet they find love.  The fact that Sergei was a . . .”

“A humorous, profound and simple tale of love and loss.”

Rating:  8/10

To find out Jan’s shocking discovery, skip over to her personal blog A L'OUEST (Post date:  June 8, 2015).  You will not want to miss her interesting and humorous take on A Rose for Sergei.

Thank you Jan (Shree Janani) for your wonderful review!

Optimistic . . .

I love wearing nail polish.  It’s a great professional look for the workplace, and it completes any outfit you’re wearing.  I recently purchased a hot pink nail polish that caught my attention.  I like the color as much as I like the name on the bottle, “Optimistic.”  A great name.  Optimistic . . . positive, bright, cheerful, and confident!

Thinking about being optimistic reminded me of a comment a co-worker made a few years ago.  He said, “I like that you look at the world through rose-colored glasses some times.  You don’t see that very often anymore.”  Little did my friend know how accurate he was with that statement.  I would later write about that very subject in my book about Sergei Kourdakov.

I do tend to look on the brighter side of things, I’m usually optimistic.  It is a choice.  In my book, A Rose for Sergei, you can tell this has always been a part of who I am.  Even though Sergei said people were following us, I overlooked his concerns and kept the focus on our time together.

Excerpt from A Rose for Sergei:

Fall 1972

“Somewhere in the depths of my mind I realized that Sergei was preparing me for something I didn’t have the courage to face.  Instead I chose to look at the world through rose-colored glasses, a view that things were better than they really were.”

Courage, Love & Destiny

A Rose for Sergei

A True Story of Courage, Love & Destiny

Amazon eBook Special

Only .99 cents May 14-17, 2015

  

Take advantage of this eBook special from Amazon.  A Rose for Sergei is available for only .99 cents for the next few days.  On May 18th the price will return to $3.99.

For those of you that don’t have a Kindle, my friends tell me that the larger Smartphones are the perfect size for reading eBooks.  To quote one friend, “I barely use the iPad anymore because my iPhone 6plus is a good size to read books.  And lighter and much more portable.”

Reviews!  I am always glad when someone leaves a review on Amazon and/or GoodReads.  Thank you, Suzanna for your five-star review.  Below is a shortened version of her review for A Rose for Sergei:

I Couldn’t Put This Book Down!

A Rose for Sergei is written through the eyes of a young woman who met a strong, dashing Russian man while working in DC.  There was an instant attraction, but little did she realize….  Was he a dangerous spy?  Was he truly a changed man?

This TRUE STORY gives readers a rare glimpse into the last few months of Sergei Kourdakov’s life before his mysterious and tragic death.  It’s a gripping story, filled with sweet moments, laughter, and ultimately heartache.

– Review by Suzanna

VE Day 70th Anniversary

On the 70^th anniversary of VE day, the majority of the visitors watched the WWII planes fly by from the crowded streets of Washington DC.  I watched from Arlington cemetery, standing beside my mother’s and father’s grave marker.  I stood in a sea of never ending white marble headstones amongst the deceased who gave their lives for our freedom.  I whispered a quiet prayer of thanks to those military heroes.  They are not forgotten.  My father, Colonel Edward W. Kenny, was one of those heroes.

My father was a career Air Force Officer and Fighter Pilot who served in WWII, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam.  In WWII he crash landed his bullet-riddled P-47 Thunderbolt and walked out of the wreckage with a broken back.  In 1954 he won the Bendix Air Trophy Race, flying the F-84 Thunderstreak and setting a world speed record of 616.2 miles per hour.  In 2013, after a long and happy retirement, my father suffered heart failure at age 89.

During the 70th Anniversary flyover in DC there was one plane that didn’t fly in formation; it kept circling around the cemetery.  Each time it passed I waved both hands joyously over my head.  During one loop the plane banked hard to the right, and I could see into the cockpit.  It was still quite far away but I was pretty sure at that angle that the pilot spotted me.  At least that’s what I would like to think.  Because the next thing I knew the pilot of that WWII plane turned and flew directly over me.

It was something my father would have done.

Shielding my eyes from the sun

 as a WWII plane comes into view.

The Persecutor vs. Forgive Me, Sergei

The movie Forgive Me, Sergei raised a lot of questions for me when I watched it.  For those who are familiar with Sergei Kourdakov’s life, you may have heard or read there were parts of the movie that criticized Sergei’s book, The Persecutor.  The movie ended up convincing the director, and many viewers, that Sergei’s story was a lie.  From what I understand, this wasn’t the original intention of the movie, but it was the outcome.  And the damage is done.

This film motivated me to write A Rose for Sergei.  I wanted to offer a different point of view and try to show you that maybe…just maybe, the movie got some of Sergei’s story wrong.  How easy it is to talk negatively about someone who is no longer here.  How easy it is to think that no one would care if you did.

I recently talked with an American woman who had lived in the Soviet Union in the 1980’s.  When I was introduced, my host mentioned I wrote a book about a Soviet defector.  The conversation became very interesting at that point.  I asked the woman what was the one thing that stood out the most in her mind about having lived in Russia.  “The Russians controlled the outcome of everything,” was her candid response, “Americans saw only what they wanted us to see.”  I wasn’t intending to monopolize the conversation, but her comment made me want to learn more.  “I have a question,” I asked.  “So, if a film maker made a movie in Russia, would the outcome of that movie be controlled?”  Her answer was yes.

In the movie Forgive Me, Sergei there are scenes in Russia where people were directly asked about Sergei Kourdakov.  In each case, the answer was the same, “No, I don’t believe that happened.  That never happened.”

Why am I not surprised by their answers?

Sergei Kourdakov - The Myth

I recently found a retraction notice online concerning an article about Sergei Kourdakov and his book, The Persecutor.  The article was retracted after a friend told the author about the movie, Forgive Me, Sergei.  It’s a documentary film, therefore it must be true.  Right?  Well, sometimes things are not always as they seem.  I was disheartened that the author felt a need to retract his article.  I watched the movie, several times in fact, and I was left with more questions than answers.

My number one concern about the movie is that I truly believe Sergei would never have given anyone the real names of people he knew and associated with in the Soviet Union.  And secondly, if you were involved in unsavory activities for your government, would you name names?  And if anyone asked you, let’s say a movie producer, about said activities, would you admit to knowing anything?  In a movie for everyone to see.  For your government to watch.  Think about it for a minute.  I know what my answer would be.

If you’ve followed my blog you understand my reaction to the movie and the retracted article.  This was the movie which encouraged me to write A Rose for Sergei.  This movie convinced me to tell a story I had always planned to keep to myself.  That by itself is pretty revealing because I’ve never been moved to write or blog about anything before I discovered that movie.

Sergei Kourdakov’s book is controversial, there is no doubt about that.  In my book, A Rose for Sergei, I have tried to show you what Sergei was really like.  His actions and his responses to situations when we were together were real and were very telling. Yes, he believed he was being watched and followed.  I saw how cautious he was, always looking over his shoulder.  That is not a story others have made up to perpetuate the myth about him.

I am surprised, after all these years, to discover that people are so eager to discredit Sergei Kourdakov without having known him.

A Rose for Sergei
A true story of courage, love and destiny.

Click here to purchase from Amazon!

Love Knows No Bounds

I noticed today that Amazon has the paperback version of A Rose for Sergei listed for only $7.99.  I’m not sure how long that price will be in effect, but I think that’s a pretty good deal for a paperback book!  While I was on their website I also came across a new review for my book.  I am pleasantly surprised when readers express what I, as the author, am not always able to convey.  Thank you, Cora, for a lovely review!  Below is a shortened version of her review for A Rose for Sergei:

Love Knows No Bounds

A beautiful love story centered around two young people from vastly different worlds in the early 70’s.  What sets their love story apart from all other?  A few reasons.

One:  Both live a life so out of the norm for most.

You have an ambitious independent young woman from D.C. who dives straight into life after high school into a world most people would be in awe over as they wonder, “Does that really happen outside of movies?”  She is brave and dedicated and remarkable throughout this story.

Then you have a young man from Russia, who since a young age has seen more tragedy and more of the world’s ugliest sides than any one person should.  After being orphaned so young, life turns into a mission of survival for this young man.  He later joins the KGB and was put in the duty of (among other things) breaking up the secret meetings of Christians.  But his life takes a drastic change…and [he] defects from the Soviet Union to America.

Two:  The best part?  This is a TRUE story, these are REAL people.

Two people from different worlds get hurdled into each other’s lives through fate?  Chance?  Though they could not be more different, though the short journey they take together is full of mystery, danger, and secrets, it is also full of wonder, life, and love.

And all I am left with is wow.  Yes, I really enjoyed this story. Yes, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a real life true love story with a bittersweet ending, but a moving lesson…love knows no bounds.  K. A. Kidd writes her story beautifully, sucking you in to her world, telling you her story through her eyes.

—Review by Cora