In Café "The Blue Danube" Radka Yakimov, a native of Bulgaria, recalls tales that are heartfelt, reflective and insightful. The communist regimes of Eastern Europe, and trying to adapt to a new life in Canada while suspended between two worlds are towering themes in this hard-hitting book. Yakimov takes her readers to faraway places. You'll meet Mrs. Bailey, who finds herself in a strange place-right in her own country; you'll learn how so many are struggling with life in the post-communists democracies while battling the consequences of totalitarianism. And of course, you'll walk through the doors of Café "The Blue Danube" where immigrants united by a common love of dancing and music can congregate and come to terms with their own circumstances, their own problems and their own regrets all while looking to the future. The memoirs in Café "The Blue Danube" deftly point out that being a newcomer can be a difficult experience, but they also celebrate what makes us all different-as well as the same. "Yakimov writes evocatively and with lush expressiveness:....A recurring theme throughout the stories is the immigrant returning to his or her homeland in the post-Communist era only to find that the reality no longer matches the memory. It's a familiar motif, but Yakimov (who, like many of her characters, immigrated to Canada as an adult) handles it deftly, managing to avoid the obvious clichés. A thoughtful, intense read that will appeal to fans of the short story format, used here to great effect." Kirkus Reviews