The Shriek And The Rattle Of Trains

Rick Viola, an American living in surreal post-Communist Romania during 1993, has three challenges: deal with his failed love triangle with two Romanian men, calm his fear of HIV, and get on with his professional duties in a cultural exchange program from Hell. He reflects on his romance while treading the minefield of sabotage and jealousy laid by the comically eccentric American colleagues: nostalgic socialist union organizers, ex-Marines and misfit college professors. Those historic times of cultural alchemy when East and West first came together, form a rich symbolic and literal context for this story of human relationships. Part history and part travelogue, the story rides the rails through the mountains of Transylvania and into the cities of this fascinating land. It is both romance and tragedy, as it depicts the inability of all the characters to find common ground for love and respect.