FEATURE: Out of the Transylvania Night, by Aura Imbarus

In December 1989, Aura Imbarus and her parents were Christmas shopping in Transylvania when sniper fire broke out. It was the beginning of a revolution that challenged one of the most draconian regimes in the Soviet bloc. Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife were eventually assassinated, but the Romanian people continued to be plagued by harsh conditions and poverty. Aura was miraculously granted a green card, and she and her husband, Michael, fled to the United States in May 1997. There, they achieved all the trappings of the “American Dream,” with a beautiful home, cars, and more. But when a series of tragedies hit, Aura’s marriage crumbled. In the aftermath, she realized that she must strike a balance between her identity as a Romanian and her life as an American, as well as rebuild the life — and the love — she had lost.

With themes ranging from the pursuit of happiness and the American Dream, to the immigration experience and the struggle to “keep up with the Joneses,” Out of the Transylvania Night is a riveting Cinderella story that Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci has said “shows the degree to which we are all willing to live lives centered on freedom, hope, and an authentic sense of self. Truly a love story!”

In an epic tale of identity and the indomitable human spirit, OUT OF THE TRANSYLVANIA NIGHT explores tyranny, freedom, love, success, and the price paid for misaligned dreams. An incredibly powerful memoir.

Known for using stand-ins to pose for him, Aura doubts if it was even Ceausescu himself who was killed that night. Nevertheless, when her countrymen topple one of the most draconian regimes in the Soviet bloc, Aura Imbarus tells herself that life post-revolution will be different. But little in the country changes. With two pieces of luggage and a powerful dream, Aura and her new husband flee to America. Through sacrifice and hard work, the couple acquire a home, cars, and travel—but trying to be Americans is much more complicated than they expect. More difficulties set in: the stock market crash takes their savings, house, and cars; thieves steal three centuries’ worth of heirloom jewels; and Aura’s beloved mother dies.
Aura’s marriage crumbles under the stress. Devastated, she asks herself, ‘How much of one’s life is owed to others?’ Tested even further by the vagaries of fate, Aura discovers a startling truth about striking a balance between one’s dreams and the sacrifices and compromises that allow for serenity, selfhood, and lasting love. More resolution comes when in 2010, Ceausescu’s body is exhumed to answer questions of a cover-up, and Aura can finally lay to rest the haunting mysteries of her past.