The book may never stand out as a literary gem, but it is an emotional and stirring account of one man's experience both growing up in Romania and his experience with the revolution. It is a recount that you will not find in any history book, but one that is just as relevant, of the euphoria Christmas 1989 and subsequent disappointment afterwards. Each Romanian has their own opinion of that time, as events affected everyone differently, and the revolution was short in duration and not wide spread. My wife's recounts vary greatly from Antal's. I wish more people like Antal would put their recollections into print. The bottomline is, Antal does tell a good story. ( )