FREE. CHILDHOOD AND THE END OF THE WORLD IN ALBANIA

Discover the moving story of growing up in Albania during the communist era and political transformation. Lea Ypi humorously and insightfully describes her childhood, family secrets, and the search for truth in a world full of political upheavals. It is a story about trying to understand what it really means to be free.

• Engaging narrative about growing up in Albania
• Personal memories of the author Lea Ypi
• Political history of Albania against the backdrop of personal experiences
• Family secrets and discovering the past
• Attempt to understand freedom in a changing world
• Insightful look at the political transformation

In Albania, a country isolated from the rest of the world, communist ideals replaced religion, and terror and persecution became commonplace. For Lea, this was a home where everyone is equal, neighbors help each other, and children build a better world. Uncle Stalin and Uncle Hoxha looked down from their pedestals at their young followers.

In December 1990, everything changed. Monuments were overthrown and leaders were elected. People could believe in what they wanted and were not afraid of prying eyes. Factories were closed, financial pyramids led to ruin, and riots broke out in the streets. Thousands fled to Italy, only to return to a free country that had little to offer them after a humiliating procedure.

Lea Ypi describes with insight and humor growing up amidst political upheavals, discovering family secrets (about aristocrats, former prime ministers, political prisoners and informers), searching for the truth hidden between ideals and reality, and above all trying to understand what it really means to be free. This book is not only a personal story, but also a deep reflection on the history and politics of Albania.

Czarne Publishing presents this unique book in paperback, with 352 pages in 128x199 mm format. The year of publication is 2022. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Albania, political transformation and personal stories against the backdrop of great politics.