Why Birches Are White
by Elena S. SmithPublish: Apr 07, 2006Historical FictionBook Overview
We all act out lives in a play with no written script, with a cast of other characters, and with no dress rehearsal that moment to moment places us into major and minor roles as we are propelled forward on the stage by forces both visible and invisible. The central idea of this novel is to reveal the power and influence of acquaintances, friends, and even total strangers in shaping the choices we make in our lives. These “earthly angels” in Why Birches Are White dramatically impact the lives of a man and a woman.At the height of the Cold War in 1987 a peace march was planned from Saint Petersburg to Moscow in the Soviet Union. The journey took a company of total strangers: two hundred and fifty Americans and an equal number of walkers from the Soviet Union on a trek into previously forbidden territories and relationships. The “Peace Walkers” were greeted by close to one million Soviet citizens in five weeks. To celebrate the event the National Soviet Peace Committee chose to feature one American walker, a man from Moscow, Idaho in a short documentary. They asked a woman from St. Petersburg to act as interpreter for the film. This is their story and the role that angels played in it.
If you are looking for another example of “fact is stranger than fiction”, you should read this novel based on real life. If you are looking for a “real page turner” that has many unexpected events, you should read this book. Finally, if you are a romantic and believe that true love represents one of those powerful forces, as strong as the Moon that pulls the tides over the shorelines of the world, you should read this book.
